Anjaneyam

Hanuman's Ramayana

Synopsis

For centuries, the ancient Indian epic The Ramayana has captured the imagination of Asia with its universal themes of righteousness, love, loyalty and frailty. One of the most beloved characters in the story is the monkey god Hanuman, who plays a crucial role in Prince Rama’s quest to rescue his wife, Sita, from the 10-headed demon king Ravana.

Follow the life and adventures of Hanuman, from the time of his birth, to his meeting with the exiled Prince Rama, and to the heroic battle against Ravana and his forces. Watch the story unfold through dance and music, and bear witness to the birth of The Ramayanawhen Hanuman encounters its author Maharishi Valmiki.

Conceptualised by Apsaras Arts, this cross-cultural production puts together a creative team from around Asia including Era Dance Theatre (Singapore), Kalakshetra Repertory Theatre (India) and Bimo Dance Theatre (Indonesia). It features an arresting juxtaposition of Indian and Southeast Asian depictions of the epic, told through bharatanatyam and Javanese dance and set to a stirring, original score.

Creative team

Concept, Script and Artistic Direction:
Aravinth Kumarasamy

Research:
Dr Sudha Sheshyan, Dr Pappuvenugopla Rao, Dr Charu Madhavan

Music Composition:
Dr Rajkumar Bharathi

Music Co-Direction and Sound Design:
Sai Sharavanam

Choreography:
Mohanapriyan Thavarajah, Jayanthi Subramaniam, Hari Padman and Osman Abdul Hamid

Dramaturge:
Lim How Ngean

Costume Design:
Mohanapriyan Thavarajah

Lighting Design & Projection Mapping Design Concept:
Gyan Dev Singh

Projection Mapping and Animation:
Knownsense Studios

Rehearsal Master:
Renjith Babu

Gallery

Reviews

Anjaneyam: Hanuman’s Ramayana brought to life once more. Cultural ties that bind India and South East Asia at PBD 2018 (Read more)
– Connected to India, Garima Kapil

“I laud the efforts of the whole team, in producing a show, given a limited time frame, without a dull moment, and with enough showmanship to keep the audience engaged for three hours – ” (Read more)
– Narthaki, Lakshmi Vishvanathan

“Carrying forward the narrative, flashback was used, and imaginative use of chorus, a la Greek theatre, reflecting what the main character is thinking. Such a large scale production deserves to be seen in other cities, where Ramayana is known to everyone and its performances are a living tradition” (Read more)
– Narthaki, Padmashri Dr. Sunil Kotari

“Apsaras Arts ‘Anjaneyam – Hanuman’s Ramayana’ staged at Singapore recently stood out for its cross-cultural appeal” (Read more)
– The Hindu Padmashree, Dr.Sunil Kotari

“It was heartwarming to see the impact of Anjaneyam on the excited crowd, their eyes completely locked on the action unfolding before them. Anjaneyam is completely deserving of the standing ovation it received at the end of the performance, a testament to the incredible talent we witnessed tonight from Singapore, India and Indonesia. This is precisely what a cross-cultural event at the Esplanade should feel like; a melting-pot of cultures and abilities coming together to produce an epic show that will live on deep in our hearts and minds, one we won’t be forgetting anytime soon.” (Read more)
– Backchormeeboy

“Mega dance-drama Anjaneyam — Hanuman’s Ramayana stood out with stunning visuals, exquisite dancing and excellent story-telling” (Read more)
– Tabla Singapore, Padmashree Dr.Sunil Kotari