Pune: Kathak Dance Meets Contemporary Styles In Medha Foundation’s “Swapnavasavadattam” Production

Kothrud, 1st April 2023: The Swami Vivekananda Auditorium at MIT, Kothrud, Pune witnessed a breathtaking rehearsal of the musical dance drama “Swapnavasavadattam” presented by the Medha Foundation and produced by Katha Biradari.

The original Sanskrit play, written by Mahakavi Bhas about 2000 years ago, has been translated into Hindi by Dr. Sunil Deodhar. It’s a captivating blend of beauty, patriotism, politics, and sacrifice, which has been brought to life on stage by Kathak dancer and director, Mugdha Potdar Pathak.

Pathak’s vision for the production combined traditional Kathak dance with contemporary styles, and the result was a stunning display of fluidity, grace, and emotion. The musical score composed by Nikhil Mahamuni and Amod Kulkarni was captivating, and the playback singing by Mahalakshmi Iyer, Yogita Godbole, and Nikhil Mahamuni added to the overall immersive experience. The stage arrangement by Shyam Bhutkar was also noteworthy, providing the perfect backdrop for the artists to showcase their skills.

The evening began with a felicitation of veteran kirtanakar, Charudatta Afhale, by Ram Govind Bedekar, representing the Medha Foundation. Many dignitaries and friends, including veteran dramatist Shekhar Sen, former MLA Medha Kulkarni, and Ulhas Pawar attended the rehearsal and were blown away by the performance. In his speech, Shekhar Sen blessed the artists and encouraged them to experiment more with “Swapnavasavadattam”. The program was moderated by Poonam Chatre, who kept the audience engaged throughout the evening.