Satya Harischandra - A Telugu Drama By Surabhi: Events in Hyderabad

REVIEW FOR SATYA HARISCHANDRA - A...

He spoke the truth so often, he got addicted to it. Watch this one to make sure you don't fall into the same trap. Or at least for an evening of great Telugu theater.

Shilparamam, in association with Sri Venkateshwara Natya Mandali (Surabhi Group), is organising a 9-day Surabhi Drama Festival, from 21st to 29th April. Today, the fifth day, a famous Telugu mythological drama called Satya Harischandra will be staged.

Satya Harishchandra is the story of a king who abdicated his throne and even renounced his family for the sake of the truth. Upon a wordy duel with sage Vasishta, Viswamitra once accepts the challenge to make the righteous and honest King Harischandra utter a lie. In one such sticky situation, he corners the king and leaves him with 2 options - either to resort to the immoral act of telling a lie or to leave his throne. The king prefers the latter and leaves the country as well.

As fate starts haunting Harischandra, his son dies of snake bite. Accusing Harischandra's wife Chandramati of child murder, the local king sentences her to death and orders Harischandra, working in a cremation ground, to execute her. The righteous Harischandra obeys the order and attempts to hack his wife. Just when he is about to execute the order, Lord Shiva appears and blesses him by bringing his son back to life and returning his throne.

Surabhi is the oldest theater group in India, started sometime in the 1890s by Vanarasa Govind Rao, who had three sons and ten daughters. As the size of the family expanded, several sub-groups were formed, one such being Sri Venkateshwara Natya Mandali. Initially there were 50 companies, which dwindled to 16 in 1974 and only 4 in 1982. Currently, there are 5 functioning across Andhra Pradesh, all under the umbrella of Surabi Nataka Kala Sangam. Sri Venkateshwara Natya Mandali, the biggest of them all, was set up in 1937. Today, their troupe has 62 members.

For further details, please contact the venue at 2310-0455.