Anjaneyam

Hanuman's Ramayana

Synopsis

The Heroines of Raja Ravi Varma, bringing to life a selection of painted heroines through Bharatanatyam. This dance showcase explores the emotions as depicted in Raja Ravi Varma’s 14 well-known paintings of Sita, Bhoomadevi, Damayanthi, Radha, Shakuntala and Yasodha. Known for their beauty, the lives Raja Ravi Varma’s painted heroines were filled with romance, love and tragedy. Each enactment is staged with appropriate poetry from various genres and meticulously designed costumes, reflecting the style of the paintings itself. Be mesmerized as their stories come to life, from their easels, to speak to you through dance.

“Paintings generally appeal only to connoisseurs of Art, who are able to understand its many layers of meanings communicated by the painter. The dance production by Apsaras Arts – “The Heroines of Raja Ravi Varma” brings out the innate emotions and expression hidden in a painting enabling viewers to easily understand the hidden messages as intended by the painter – Ravi Varma”

Shankar Khankhoje, 92 years old Visual Artist (Pune, India / Singapore), January 2012.

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