The Life of Hinduism

(Barré) #1

150. performance


merely as the anchor for an improvised verbal meditation that may include almost
endless digressions and elaborations, interspersed with relevant quotations from
any part of the epic as well as from other revered texts. Tour-de-force perform-
ances in which a single line is expounded for days on end are not uncommon and
are often cited by devotees as evidence of the talent of a favorite expounder.^24 An-
other characteristic of such narration is its tendency to “domesticize” epic charac-
ters through the retelling of incidents in a highly colloquial style and with details
absent from the source text. In addition, events in the story often serve as spring-
boards for homely excursus on matters mystical, philosophical, and even political.
Though little studied by academic scholars,kathaperformance remains a principal
form of both religious instruction and popular entertainment in many parts of
India.
Ramlila—which occurs mainly at the time of the annual dafahrafestival—is
similarly extended and episodic, but here the emphasis shifts from hearing to seeing
as oral exegesis is replaced by visual and iconographic realization of the narrative.
The famous Ramnagar production is often termed a “visible commentary” by its
aficionados,^25 who emphasize the opportunity it affords for the experience of divine
darfan. Ramlilais closely related to another Vaisnava performance genre: jhanki
(glimpse or tableau), in which consecrated persons or images (usually boys, but
sometimes figures of painted clay) are dressed and made up as divine characters and
placed in settings intended to evoke mythic scenes. These tableaux are presented for
contemplation by audiences, often to the accompaniment of devotional singing.^26
In the more elaborate ramlilacycles, as in other Indian performance genres, great
importance is given to facial expression and gesture. Actors are chosen for their
physical appearance and trained in all aspects of delivery. The boys in Ramnagar
undergo a two-month apprenticeship during which they are taught to identify com-
pletely with their epic roles. Such training is thought to facilitate the process
whereby the divinity manifests in the body of the actor—an essential element in the
theology of Vaisnava performance. And although most ramlilaplays, like kathaper-
formances, are based on the Manas,they too may include episodes not found in the
text as well as creative interpretations of its verses. Such elaborations often result in
scenes and dialogues much enjoyed by the audience.
Whatever else he may be—movie mogul and shrewd businessman—Ramanand
Sagar appears to have a genuine enthusiasm for the Manas and a taste for katha. His
reported participation in an ongoing study group must have exposed him to many
interpretations of the text, and his interest in the popular expounder Morari Bapu is

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