Skip to main content

After a gap of 25 years Nitish Bharadwaj makes a brilliant come back in a play ‘Chakravyuh’

Who can forget Lord Krishna as portrayed by Nitish Bharadwaj in the famous Mahabharata series that used to be shown on national television? 

And most people still say that he is an ideal choice as Krishna.

Nitish Bharadwaj also starred in a Malayalam movie called ‘Njaan Gandharvan’ which created ripples in the film industry right from the time its much acclaimed director Padmarajan announced it. I believe that the director could pull it off mostly because of one person’s amazing presence and acting – Nitish Bharadwaj.


And so, it happens that after a gap of 25 years Nitish Bharadwaj acted in a play titled ‘Chakravyuh’ written and directed by Atul Satya Kaushik. Of course, i was excited and thrilled to get an opportunity to watch him! Counted every minute to the play! 

And when I got there, it turned out that I was in the third row! Could see 'Lord Krishna' real close!!! Okay, stop, stop, I am getting goosebumps on my skin!

About the Play ‘Chakravyuh’

‘Chakravyuh’ is an attempt to present the glorious tragic fall of Abhhimanyu, the brave son of Arjuna and Subhadra and nephew of Lord Krishna. The hidden meanings of this episode in the Mahabharata is presented with thought-provoking dialogues between Lord Krishna and the others. 


 I thoroughly enjoyed the play. 

What amazed me is the effortless ease with which Nitish Bharadwaj becomes Lord Krishna even after so many years. There is magic in his eyes and in his smile. His expressions, from playful mischief to serenity to seriousness, lend depth to the character of Lord Krishna that he is playing. The play also marked the entry of his son, Lalit Bharadwaj (dressed in a pink and blue outfit as shown below, standing at his side). Many scenes played by Lalit Bharadwaj received the applause of the audience because of his acting and dialogue delivery.


Another striking character that deserves a special mentionis Duryodhan (featuring Rahul Bhuchar). In terms of screen presence, acting and dialogue delivery, he stands out too.

Music and Lights in the Play ‘Chakravyuh’

The play ‘Chakravyuh’ has impeccable lighting effects by Atul Satya Kaushik and beautiful music composed by Ravi Rao and Latika Jain.

Dialogues in the Play ‘Chakravyuh’
There are many thought provoking dialogues in this play.

In grief, Arjuna asks many questions to Lord Krishna, saying, “You are God, Guru, Father and Mother to my son. Yet you didn’t save him from death. How could you let my son die?”

Lord Krishna’s response is a heart-wrenching one. You have to watch this play to experience it.

Director of the Play ‘Chakravyuh’

Atul Satya Kaushik is an alumnus of Sri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC, Delhi) and is a qualified CA and holds a degree in law. Still to reach 30s, Atul Satya Kaushik has already written 10 full length theatre plays and produced and directed 12 theatre productions with over 150 shows in different parts of India. He is credited with pioneering modern commercial theatre in Delhi and running many ticketed plays  full houses in his theatre productions. He formed ‘The Films and Theatre Society’ in September 2009 and it is fast becoming one of the most performing theatre groups in Delhi.

After the Play ‘Chakravyuh

I was so super excited after watching the play ‘Chakravyuh’ that I couldn't help tweeting about it. The responses I got were "Most authentic enactment of Krishna" and "He doesn't even have to try, it comes naturally!" 

See, people LOVE watching Nitish Bharadwaj as Lord Krishna!
                                     

Comments

Most LOVED Posts

Best time to light diya

Want to know when is the best time to light diya or deepam at home? In most Hindu homes, 'deepam' or 'diya' is lit at least twice - once in the morning and then in the evening. For both times, brass is considered to be auspicious for lighting deepam or lamp at home. Clay diyas are also considered auspicious for lighting at home. When lighting diyas on Fridays, it is better to use ghee than oil, if possible. [ Connect with Svara on Facebook ] [Read: Vidyarambham - The Labyrinth Within] When Should I Start Lighting Diyas? The symbolic shift begins from darkess to light. Therefore, in the evenings, light diya before sunset to usher in divine blessings into your home. At what time should we light diya today? Every morning at sunrise and every evening before or at sunset. An ideal time would be to light the diya at least half an hour before sunset. Can we light diya after 12 PM? In Hindu homes, the diya is lit early morning at around sunrise and towards evening sunset. Can ...

The Ugly Truth about Caste in Kerala

Many years ago, when I wrote this post on Kerala's caste system, I had not considered that people would start sending in abusive comments about one caste over the other. It baffles me that this is how Indians, all of us, continue to judge each other on account of caste differences.  [ READ: Guru Kripa: Powerful Lessons at the Lotus Feet ] My question is - why do you ABUSE any caste or community? I suggest that you read about the lives of great Masters and their stories - none of them judged anyone on the basis of caste.  You can read the life stories of Sri Adi Shankara Bhagawadpada, Tulsidas, Jnaneshwar, Namadev, Sri Aurobindo, Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Paramahansa Yogananda, Shirdi Sai Baba, and many more Gurus in Sanathana Dharma. NONE of them endorse these caste hierarchies in Bhakti Marga. Assuming that Guru Sampradaya does not appeal to your sensibilities, do read this  new book 'Ants among Elephants' written by Sujatha Gidla, who writes about herself as being bor...

Does something bad happen if the diya goes off?

Is it bad if a diya goes off? This is a frequently asked question among people who light the evening lamp or diya regularly in their puja room.  [READ: How To Light Deepam at Home and  Why Malayalis Light Nilavilaku ]                                                     [Image by Sachin Yadav @ Pixabay] Why Did My Lamp Suddenly Turn Off? Where there is faith, there should be no scope for fear - this is Bhagawan Krishna's message to Arjun on the battlefield of Kurukshetra.  That represents strength of Bhakti. [READ: Bhakti: Meera's Greatest Wealth] Consider another example in the tradition of Bhakti.  When Prahlada, a young lad, is targeted by his own father, he remains calm under every situation. When he is thrown into the sea, the wise lad is reminded that the sea is the abode of Shriman Narayana. [ READ: Amazing Stories of Lord Shiva ] H...

How do you light Deepam at home?

How do you light deepam at home? As a child, I loved watching the ritual of my grandmother lighting the deepam or the traditional lamp at home in the evenings. A sense of serenity accompanied her frail figure as she would carefully straighten every wick, dip it into the tiny puddle of oil and light the lamp. [ Let's Connect on Facebook ] As my grandmother would read out the scriptures and chant the prayers, the fragrance of incense sticks and flowers added depth to the experience. In many Hindu homes nowadays, the lighting of the lamp (or the nilavilakku, as Malayalis refer to the traditional lamp in their homes) is not a regular practice. A lot of people have many questions around how to light deepam at home and which oil to use and so on. An important point to keep in mind - Maintain physical cleanliness and hygiene while lighting the lamp. Wear clean clothes while lighting the lamp. The most essential factor is unwavering focus and concentration when you light the lamp every eve...

What is the story of Shivaji? The great son of a great mother called Jijabai

Chhatrapati Shivaji, the great Maratha warrior whose guerrilla warfare tactics are fleetingly mentioned in Indian history textbooks, is increasingly relevant today. A Hindi movie 'Tanhaji' starring Ajay Devgn and Kajol got many of us curious to know more about this warrior. Sadly, we don't seem to have much information in our history textbooks!   [ READ: Significance of Surya Argya  and How do you Light Deepam? ] Source: Anjali Natarajan on Twitter  Shivaji Maharaj: The Great Son of a Great Mother Jijabai The more I read about Shivaji Maharaj,   the more fascinated I am.   I wondered why we have learned so little about this great warrior and his great mother Jijabai, and why public memory has been totally erased from most history books! As a mother, I have always been fascinated by how some of India's greatest and most revered men and women are individuals who were deeply influenced at an early age by their mothers. Bharat is a country that belongs to...