Nine Faces of Being

Directed by Arundhati Raja and written by author Anita Nair, Nine Faces of Being isn’t merely a cliché about an artiste’s life. It explores the diminishing value of relationships in the life of a dancer in a quest to master the ultimate forms of creativity.

– Deccan Chronicle

With the classical Indian dance form Kathakali as the backdrop, Nine Faces of Being explores each of the nine rasas of Navarasas, a Sanskrit word that defines the fundamental energy and dominant emotional theme in any work of art. In fact, the emotions of all the characters in the play are expressed through various
rasas like Shringara, Bhaya and so on.

– Midday

Weaving in Kathakali’s vivid and colourful forms, the play tells the story of Kathakali artiste Koman, his niece Radha and her passionate affair with a travel writer from abroad as the helpless husband watches in despair, even as the nava rasas are being playing out on stage.

– India Today

Anita Nair’s theatre adaptation of her own novel, Mistress, called Nine Faces Of Being deals with a story that never grows old. What draws audience to this play? Simple. What happens to anybody. A story of love, forbidden passion and art – the play explores the universality of human emotion.Set in the midst of a family of Kathakali dancers, the ancient traditions of the dance woven into contemporary drama, this play directed by one of Bangalore most seasoned theatre artistes, Arundhati Raja, depicts each of the Navarasa – as the nine stages of human being’s life, in the nine scenes that the play journeys through.

– Times of India

…their opening play Nine Faces of Being a fabulous one. The two-hour performance has no interval – and that’s a blessing that works wonders for continuity. Writer Anita Nair’s portrayal, of various emotions, is brutal and honest. Helping her put it all across to the audience is director Arundhati Raja and her extremely talented cast. The previews mentioned emotions through the art form – Kathakali. But this is no dance drama. It’s a performance that conveys to you the essence of the dance form without actually breaking into movement. The highlight of the nine scenes that make up this play lies in each of the monologues – the lines manage to gnaw at your heart; and you feel them and for the characters on stage.

– DNA

A powerful impact because of its universal appeal. Nair, unleashes a variety of emotions like love, lust and envy in the play which mark her debut as a playwright. The play is written in nine scenes and is a search for meaning in life and art. Apart from the dialogues, what makes the play a seamless experience is the high-quality light and sound and projection equipment at the Jagriti theatre. A transition from London to the riverside resort took less than five seconds.

– The Week

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