Revisiting Our Myths: Mahesh Dattani on Thus Spake...

Mahesh Dattani talks to Vaishnavi Sridhar about why Thus Spake Shoorpanakha, So Said Shakuni is so relevant today. The full version of the interview is on YouTube here.

Thus Spake Shoorpanakha, So Said Shakuni revisits two well known characters Shoorpanakha and Shakuni from the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. They are both considered to be villains, even evil. They both had roles to play in causing the big battles - the centre pieces of the epics in which they feature. But have they been misunderstood? Were they victims themselves?

It is important for society to revisit its myths, Dattani says. For millennia, these stories have been told from a single perspective – the victor’s and the man’s. According to him, we must explore other perspectives - the woman’s or the subaltern perspective. That is what Thus Spake… does.

There’s more in the interview, along with his views on theatre and playwriting.

Thus Spake Shoorpanakha, So Said Shakuni
A Theatrical Performance on Zoom
Written by Poile Sengupta
Directed by Mahesh Dattani
Oct 30 to Nov 1, 2020
More info and tickets