Desdemona Roopakam
A concert theatre piece that examines feminist narratives
within Shakespeare's Othello and traditional Indian mythologies.
Produced by Nalanda Arts Studio and supported by Ranga Shankara's 'Play the Play' programme.
Directed by Abhishek Majumdar and performed by acclaimed musicians MD Pallavi and Bindhumalini Narayanaswamy, the play is composed of Hindustani, Carnatic, and folk music. The performance text is a combination of musical score, spoken word poetry, and dramatic scenes. It has been co-written by MD Pallavi, Bindhumalini, Veena Appiah, Abhishek Majumdar, and Irawati Karnik, and also comprises the original text of Shakespeare’s Othello and the poetry of Tishani Doshi. The performance uses multiple forms such as Yakshagana, Harikatha, and contemporary idioms to tell the story. The sound design of the play is by one of India’s foremost live sound artists, Nikhil Nagaraj, with additional music arrangement by Praveen D Rao. Dramaturgy is by Irawati Karnik.
Desdemona Roopakam questions the absence of female voices that could have provided a deeper insight into the life of Desdemona, thereby challenging the erasure of any resistance from her as she is killed by Othello.
The play, in its elaboration of traditional Indian myth, examines the differences in register and agency that women have had in important narratives about them.
Gallery
Creative Team
Direction and Scenography
Abhishek Majumdar
Devised and Written by
Irawati Karnik, Abhishek Majumdar, MD Pallavi, Veena Appiah, Bindhumalini Narayanaswamy, Nikhil Nagaraj
Original Texts
William Shakespeare’s Othello
Tishani Doshi’s Girls Are Coming Out of the Woods
Translations by
MD Pallavi, Bindhumalini, and Aparna Chandar
Performed by
Pallavi MD, Bindhumalini, Nikhil Nagaraj
Dramaturgy
Irawati Karnik
Sound Design
Nikhil Nagaraj
Additional Music Arrangement
Praveen D Rao
Light Design
Niranjan Gokhale
Make-up
Ramakrishna NK
Producer
Veena Appiah
Production Assistants
Gautam Upadhya and Prajwal S
Subtitles Operation
Prajwal S
Set Execution
Sridhar Murthy
Assistant Scenography
Surabhi Vasisht
Costume Design
Arundhati Nag, Abhishek Majumdar
Costume Execution
Vidyaa Masand
Special Thanks
Sharanya Ramprakash, Poornima Kumar
Workshops and Engagements
Alongside Desdemona Roopakam, the creative team offers a series of workshops that explore voice, music, ensemble creation, and performance-making. Drawing from the artistic processes behind the production, these sessions are designed for universities, theatre programmes, cultural institutions, community groups, and emerging artists interested in collaborative music-led performance.
Workshop on Collective Singing, Community Singing and A Cappella
This workshop explores the power of singing together. Through harmony, rhythm, listening exercises, and ensemble practices, participants experience how collective singing can foster collaboration, community, and shared artistic expression. The session introduces approaches to community singing as well as the fundamentals of a cappella performance.
Workshop on Building Musical Scenes
A practical exploration of how music can shape dramatic action and storytelling. Participants learn techniques for integrating song, rhythm, movement, and sound into theatrical scenes, discovering how musical elements can become central to the creation of performance.
Workshop on Voice Culture and Basics of Singing
An introductory workshop focused on developing a healthy and expressive voice. Participants explore breath control, vocal placement, resonance, projection, and the fundamentals of singing through practical exercises that build confidence and performance skills.
Workshop on Devising Narratives with Music
This workshop investigates how stories can emerge through music-making. Using improvisation, composition, vocal exploration, and collaborative devising processes, participants create original narratives and performance material, exploring music as a tool for collective theatre-making.
Desdemona Rupakam: This play reimagines Shakespeare’s heroine in ‘Othello’
Press
A play in Bengaluru explores the missing voices of women in classic and mythological literature
- Dipanita Nath, The Indian Express
Abhishek Majumdar’s play Desdemona Rupakam is a mix of Shakespeare, feminism and traditional art
Bengaluru, India
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