The return of ‘Yayati': Theatre Nisha revisits Girish Karnad's play

The Hindu

19-05-2025

When V Balakrishnan of Theatre Nisha first staged Yayati in 2012, Girish Karnad was still alive, and the production travelled across multiple cities. Over a decade later, Balakrishnan, who also plays the titular role, brings the play back to life with renewed purpose, this time as both an homage to the playwright (his birth anniversary is on May 19) and a reflection on human desire, responsibility, and sacrifice.
Written when Karnad was just 22, Yayati is a profound retelling of a moment from the Mahabharata, centred on a king cursed with premature old age. Redemption is possible only if someone else willingly takes on his curse and it is his son, Puru, who steps forward. While the story originates from ancient epic, Karnad's treatment transforms it into a powerful study of personal crisis, familial dynamics, and moral reckoning.
Balakrishnan is struck by Karnad's subtle deviations from the original text. 'In the Mahabharata, Yayati demands that his sons give up their youth for him. Here, he doesn't ask. Puru offers his youth because he has a point to prove. He believes he is just as much a warrior, not the weakling others think him to be,' he explains. For the director, it is these nuances — psychological, emotional, and symbolic — that make the play rewarding.
'Yayati does not clamour to be with women,' he says, 'Instead, he wants to reclaim his youth to do his duty by his people. That shift gives the story a new moral complexity.'
Having directed several of Karnad's other works, including Bali: The Sacrifice, Naga-Mandala, and The Fire and the Rain, Balakrishnan sees Yayati as unique for its intimacy. 'It's deeply embedded in the personal. It deals with jealousy, desire, and complicated relationships in a very internalised way,' he says. That depth is what excites him about revisiting the play.
A significant feature of this production is its casting. With a predominantly female cast — KS Neeharika plays Puru, a male character — the production subverts traditional gender expectations. But for Theatre Nisha, such casting is routine rather than radical. 'We don't see gender as an impediment,' Balakrishnan says, 'We've had more women than men in many productions. If you're good at acting, you can play any role.' This approach is a gentle counter to historical norms in Indian theatre where men once played women's roles.
True to Theatre Nisha's minimalist aesthetic, the staging remains neutral. Set in pre-Vedic times (around 12,000 years ago, according to the director) the production avoids over-dramatic visual cues. 'We have no visual records from that period,' Balakrishnan says. 'So the costumes are lightly embellished, just enough to suggest status, never to overwhelm the performance. The actor should stand supreme. Everything else must support, not distract.'
While many directors seek to interpret or contemporise mythological tales, Balakrishnan resists the urge. 'I prefer to stay true to the playwright's words,' he says. 'The only change I made was to remove the Sutradhara's prologue and epilogue, which I felt were meant for audiences less familiar with the Mahabharata. Otherwise, I've kept everything as written. Let the audience interpret the play; it's not my job to impose that.'
This revival is also deeply personal. Balakrishnan considers the performance a tribute to the Karnad's enduring legacy. 'Just think — how did a 23-year-old write this play?' he marvels. 'It's so steeped in psychology. The idea of the father demanding the son's sacrifice, the Rakshasa woman who looked no different from an Arya woman — these are layered, radical ideas.'
As the play travels from its recent Chennai run to Bengaluru, Balakrishnan is eager to see how new audiences respond. 'The audience has changed dramatically over the years,' he says. 'I hope this production lingers in their minds for months. That's the power of good theatre; it doesn't end with the applause.'
Yayati will be staged at Ranga Shankara on May 21 and 22. Tickets are available at ₹400 via BookMyShow.