A Savitri for Sneha

Courtesy: Metro Life

Aurobindo’s Savitri offers a vision of hope in these times of pessimism. The play is being presented in Bangalore as a tribute to Snehalata Reddy, who fought for democratic rights during the Emergency

SNEHALATA Reddy wasn’t exactly an ordinary human being. Theatre-buffs in Chennai recall her as a co-founder of the Madras Players in the 1960s, the amateur group that staged memorable productions like Ibsen’s Peer Gynt, directed by Douglas Alger, besides Twelfth Night and Tennessee William’s Night of the Iguana, directed by Peter Coe. Besides, she acted in, directed, or produced plays such as A View from the Bridge and The House of Bernarda Alba.

In Bangalore, she was known as a charming hostess, who plunged into causes unlimited. She later co-founded the theatre group Abhinaya with Ashok Mandanna. India took note of her when the Kannada film Samskara, directed by her husband, the poet-mathematician Pattabhi Rama Reddy, won the National Award 32 years ago, besides accolades at Locarno and Mannheim, and screenings at the Venice, Berlin, and Toronto film festivals.

It was during the Emergency that Snehalata’s feisty inner being surfaced. She battled for democratic beliefs, along with like-minded individuals such as Jayaprakash Narayan. She was held under MISA at Bangalore Central Jail, where she rallied woman inmates to create plays to buoy their spirits. Released in January 1976, ill health took its toll, and she passed away shortly after. She remains an icon to those who remember.

Today, in a tribute to all that Snehalata stood for, Pattabhi Rama Reddy and his family, cast and crew present In the Hour of God, a play based on Sri Aurobindo’s classic Savitri, inspired by the mythical woman who defied death for love. Originally scripted by Pattabhi for the big screen, it has morphed through several avatars since, in collaboration with Chandrasekar Kambar, Rajeev Taranath, and U.R. Ananthamurthy. The final theatre script was chiselled into shape by Snehalata and Pattabhi’s son Konarak and daughter-in-law Kirtana in consultation with Dr. Arshia Sattar, who has translated both the Ramayana and the Kathacaritasagar from Sanskrit to English.

Savitri is powerful and poetic, philosophical and playful, at once. Explaining his choice, Pattabhi writes: “Sri Aurobindo’s magnum opus is the longest epic in the English language, longer even than Dante’s Inferno. The dialogues between Savitri and Death are among the most inspired utterances in world poetry. Unlike the Mahabharata, where the ancient poet foresees the Age of Kali, Savitri turns its grand vision towards the Age of Gold that is coming to reign. Thus, offering the viewer, in these times of pessimism, a vision of hope, a prophetic vision of a brave new, love-filled world.”

What does Savitri prove? That an ancient tale can be rendered in an accessible, contemporary voice. That music, metaphor, and special moments can be melded into an indelible entity. If that isn’t reason enough to join this tribute to Snehalata Reddy, what is?

(Courtesy : Metro Life ; Metro Plus – Bangalore : Dec – 01- 2003)