About The Event
Draupadi Defiant is a taut, intense and riveting 60 minute abridged adaptation in English of Mrinal Mathur’s play God’s Lioness?
It is a retelling of Draupadi’s story through a confrontation between her and Kunti at the end of the Mahabharata. The plot is inspired by folklore from Maharashtra and Bengal which speak of Draupadi’s love for Karna.
Draupadi desires qualities she sees separately in the Pandavas, but collectively in Karna. While she rejects Karna on Keshav’s advice so as to stand with dharma, she does not compromise with her desires. She fulfils them through a choice she makes, yet again, on Keshav’s advice. But, her choice makes her a harlot in the eyes of the world, her family, Kunti, her own husbands, and even Karna; leading to her torment.
When her vengeance is done and all is revealed, the play ends with a defiant Draupadi questioning the Universe why it has a problem with women and their choices, even the times when a woman’s choice is in accordance with dharma!
The play has been adapted from the original and directed by Saleem Shah, the much acclaimed film actor. Saleem Shah is known for having acted in a combination of commercial blockbusters like Sarfarosh, Fanaa, Satyamev Jayate 2, Socha Na Tha etc. as well as art films like English August, Naseem, Riktta and more. Additionally, he has been a part of more than 50 popular television serials and webseries and has also acted in, and directed well over a thousand shows of several plays in India and abroad.
This performance features a stellar cast of some prominent faces of the Delhi theatre circuit.
