Kavan
An Ambedkar-ite Opera about dreams, dilemmas and caste in contemporary India.
In a rapidly changing India, young Bejul and those around him navigate their dreams, desires, dilemmas while also negotiating caste and class. An operatic satire, written and performed fully in poetry and songs about young Ambedkarite experiences, Kavan attempts to encapsulate the rapidly changing India we see around ourselves - a country with mounting ambition, full of contradictions. Where do we go when the boundaries between right and wrong, sacred and profane, personal and universal are blurred?
Presented in collaboration with
Yalgaar Sanskrutik Manch
Supported by
NYUAD (New York University Abu Dhabi) Arts and Humanities and co-commissioned by The Arts Center at NYUAD.
Creative Team
Performed by: Siddharth Pratibhawant, Pravin Mukta, Priypal Dashantee, Dhammarakshit Randhive, Amruta Todarmal, Apurva Kadam
Songs and Playtext: Siddharth Pratibhawant, Sudhesh Jadhav, Pravin Mukta, Priypal Dashantee, Irawati Karnik, Dhammarakshit Randhive, Amruta Pushkar, Apurva Kadam, Abhishek Majumdar
Story: Sudesh Jadhav
Directed by: Abhishek Majumdar
Music Composer, and Music and Sound Supervision:: MD Pallavi
Music Arrangement: Dhammarakshit Randhive, Siddharth Pratibhawant
Dramaturgy: Irawati Karnik and Jocelyn Clarke
Music Production, Background Score & Sound Design: BamBoy
Producer and Production Manager: Veena Appiah
International producing: Veena Appiah and Karishma Bhagani
Choreography: Diya Naidu
Associate Director: Neel Sengupta
Assistant Directors: Rituparna Sanyal and Nikhita Singh
Light Designer: Niranjan Gokhale
Set Designer: Busshan Patil
Video Designer: Gaurav Singh Nijjer
Costume Designer: Amruta Todarmal
Assistant Costume Designer: Bhakti Dange
Set Execution: Vivek Jadhav
Cow Puppet Maker: Kapil Dev
Poster Design: MD Pallavi
Production Associates: Pratik Patil, Kailas Jadhav, Vijay Kamble
Research: The Ensemble and Tanvi Shah
Archive and Publicity Design: Shubham Roy Choudhury
Making of Kavan film: Shubham Roy Choudhury and Rahul Bachate
Documentary Film Workshop: Surabhi Sharma
Music Collaborations: Abdul Asif, Dushyant Deorukhkar
Special thanks to to New York University, Global Asia Program, Brahma Prakash, Komita Dhanda, Toral Jatin Gajrawala, Bill Bragin, Awam Amkpa, Mark Swislocki, Avneesh Mishra, Rangshila Theater Group, Mumbai, Nirmik Cultural Center.
सोया है इन्सान MD Pallavi
सदियो से कंकाल सा MD Pallavi
जिसके हाथ में पावर है Yalgaar & MD Pallavi
नहीं नहीं Yalgaar
सगुना सगुना ओ मेरी सगुना Yalgaar
भूल हो गई MD Pallavi
इंसान इंसान का नही रे MD Pallavi
ना कोई मकसद बचा है MD Pallavi
महीने का अंत न होता MD Pallavi
आया है आया है MD Pallavi
हमारा मन Yalgaar
हुकुम को मैं MD Pallavi
सपने के MD Pallavi
नीज़ नीज़ Traditional Lori
ना मैं कुछ हूँ और ना तुम कुछ हूँ MD Pallavi
गुरुजी मुझे क्षमा करो Yalgaar
आज नहीं तो कभी नहीं MD Pallavi
जैसे तुम्हारे कल परसों बीते Yalgaar & MD Pallavi
Song & Composition
Gallery
"What democracy means today – watch theatre director Abhishek Majumdar’s Kavan, a political cabaret"
- Dipanita Nath, Indian Express
Press
"When Shahiri met theatre: Explore this performance that unfolds as a sung story"
- Junisha Dama, Mid-Day India
"Kavan draws from lok shahiri, a form of protest poetry that the music and street theatre group, Yalgaar, practices through its jalsa"