Upon his return from England in 1880, Rabindranath Tagore sought to create musical plays, modelled upon operas, which would represent the coming together of the East and the West, thereby adding a new dimension to the works being composed at that time. Kaalmrigaya, Tagore’s version of a story in the Ramayana, in which the king, Dasharath, accidentally kills a blind seer’s son, is one such dance drama. More than a century later, the SAS trio comprising Subhadip Chakraborty, Ayan Mukherjee and Satabdi Acharyya seems to have taken a leaf out of the poet’s book.

Presented by Garfa Mitrayan in August at Madhusudan Mancha, Kaalmrigaya was an example of fresh ideas breathing new life into classics. Chakraborty and Mukherjee brought Beethoven together with Elvis Presley and the popular artist, Papon, while incorporating instruments such as the shreekhol and madal in the melange. At no point did the fusion appear forced.

The highlight of the production was the choreography. Conceptualized by Acharyya, the performances featured bold, athletic movements that made imaginative use of the props. The group performances were not only perfectly synchronized but also visually appealing. Samarpan Sengupta as Rishi Kumar stood out. In the scene where he is shot by Dasharath, his portrayal of physical pain was almost palpable. And in a denouement that was fitting with the nature of the production, the young boy’s body was carried off stage into the audience and, just like that, the fourth wall of the theatre was broken.

It is a rare occasion when the enactment of a dance drama manages to pay equal attention to such varied elements as dance, music, storytelling, lights and stage background. Creative, but careful, thought meant that the SAS trio managed to tie in all these aspects together to put forth an impressive show, one that presents a refreshing — and much needed — change.