Prabhat Kalavidaru
Encyclopedia
Please visit http://www.prabhathkalavidaru.com/. Prabhat Kalavidaru is a theatre
group based in Bangalore
, India
. Started in the year 1930, this group has staged many drama performances and is famous for its ballet
s. One of the most popular of their ballets is Cinderella
, based on the English
fairy tale
and since 1977, has been staged more than a thousand times by the troupe.
family and were Harikatha
exponents. The group was named Gururaja Orchestra and Nataka Mandali and was based in Tumkur
. Later, financial trouble and the quest for a larger audience brought the family to Bangalore
. Gopinath Dasa, regarded as the de facto leader of the group, incorporated new technologies in the performances and this helped draw large audiences. Rather than just being narrative, the plays incorporated themes from dances and folk traditions which was different than what was offered by the traditional drama troupes and this is considered an important reason for their success. The group was renamed Prabhat Kalavidaru in the year 1942. One of the first troupes to present Indian classical dance forms in the form of ballet, historians opine that the emergence of Prabhat Kalavidaru also heralded a cultural renaissance in the state of Karnataka. Some of the well-known artists of Kannada cinema like C. R. Simha, Srinath
, Manjula
and Lokesh
started their careers with Prabhat Kalavidaru. Initially, many of the artists and technicians involved in the performances belonged to the founding family and at one point there were as many as 60 members of the family, spanning four generations who were actively involved. Now many people from outside the family are also involved in the affairs of the troupe.
which has been performed more than a thousand times. Initially staged as a musical, the drama has undergone changes with time and in the 1000th performance; new music, stage settings and lightings were used. Though the artists involved have changed over the years, two performers, M S Shanthala and Subbanna, have the record of performing right from the first edition of Cinderella to the 1000th one.
However, Malathi Simha (Daughter of founding member - Dwarkanath Das) has performed more than 600 shows of Cinderella as Cinderella.
and the granddaughter of the founder Gopinath Dasa.
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
group based in Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Started in the year 1930, this group has staged many drama performances and is famous for its ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
s. One of the most popular of their ballets is Cinderella
Cinderella
"Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...
, based on the English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
fairy tale
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
and since 1977, has been staged more than a thousand times by the troupe.
History
Prabhat Kalavidaru was created in 1930 by a group of four brothers Gopinath Dasa, Karigiri Dasa, Jaisimha Dasa, and Dwarakanath who hailed from a traditional BrahminBrahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
family and were Harikatha
Haridasa
The Haridasa devotional movement is considered as one of the turning points in the cultural history of India. Over a span of nearly six centuries, several saints and mystics helped shape the culture, philosophy and art of South India and Karnataka in particular by exerting considerable spiritual...
exponents. The group was named Gururaja Orchestra and Nataka Mandali and was based in Tumkur
Tumkur
Tumkur is one of the busiest industrial towns located in the state of Karnataka. Since 28 August 2010, Tumkur has been accorded the status of a Corporation city. It is situated at a distance of 70 kilometers north west of the city of Bangalore along National Highway 4...
. Later, financial trouble and the quest for a larger audience brought the family to Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
. Gopinath Dasa, regarded as the de facto leader of the group, incorporated new technologies in the performances and this helped draw large audiences. Rather than just being narrative, the plays incorporated themes from dances and folk traditions which was different than what was offered by the traditional drama troupes and this is considered an important reason for their success. The group was renamed Prabhat Kalavidaru in the year 1942. One of the first troupes to present Indian classical dance forms in the form of ballet, historians opine that the emergence of Prabhat Kalavidaru also heralded a cultural renaissance in the state of Karnataka. Some of the well-known artists of Kannada cinema like C. R. Simha, Srinath
Srinath
For the cricket player see Javagal Srinath. And for Malayali actor see SreenathSrinath , real name Narayana Swamy , is a Kannada cinema actor and the vice-president of Kannada TV Channel Udaya TV....
, Manjula
Manjula (Kannada actress)
Manjula was an Indian film actress who acted in Kannada language films. She was one of the most successful and prominent actress of Kannada films. She has acted in more than 100 films-Personal life:...
and Lokesh
Lokesh
Lokesh was a Kannada film actor, who acted in such well known films as Bhootayyana Maga Ayyu, Kaadu and Kaakanakote. His wife Girija Lokesh is a film actress and film director. Lokesh died in 2004 after a prolonged illness...
started their careers with Prabhat Kalavidaru. Initially, many of the artists and technicians involved in the performances belonged to the founding family and at one point there were as many as 60 members of the family, spanning four generations who were actively involved. Now many people from outside the family are also involved in the affairs of the troupe.
Ballets
Prabhat Kalavidaru has produced about 20 ballets; some of which are Mohini Bhasmasura, Karnataka Vaibhava, Kindari Jogi, Rama Pratiksha, and Punyakoti. Lot of experimentation is involved in enacting these dramas like amalgamating Western dance forms with Indian classical dance forms to create some sort of a fusion dance style and also using special lighting techniques to enhance the appeal of the drama. Prabhat Kalavidaru were one of first theatre groups in India to introduce pre-recorded dialogues and lip-synchronisation. To compose songs and music for their plays, the troupe had built a small recording studio in their house itself. They also manufacture the masks, headgear, shields, swords, silk and velvet costumes needed for the plays. Creation of a play is a complex task and it takes about two years and a budget of about Rs. 1 to 1.5 million ($25 to 35 thousand) for the group to produce a play. The troupe's most popular production to date is CinderellaCinderella
"Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...
which has been performed more than a thousand times. Initially staged as a musical, the drama has undergone changes with time and in the 1000th performance; new music, stage settings and lightings were used. Though the artists involved have changed over the years, two performers, M S Shanthala and Subbanna, have the record of performing right from the first edition of Cinderella to the 1000th one.
However, Malathi Simha (Daughter of founding member - Dwarkanath Das) has performed more than 600 shows of Cinderella as Cinderella.
Other activities
Prabhat Kalavidaru also rents out the costumes, audio equipment and stage sets to other theatre groups and this is another source of income for them. They also run a dance school which is headed by Hema Panchamukhi, a famous actress in Kannada CinemaCinema of Karnataka
The cinema of Karnataka , sometimes colloquially referred to as Sandalwood and as Chandanavana in Kannada, encompasses movies made in the Indian state of Karnataka based in Bangalore. Most of the movies are made in Kannada, with a handful of them in Konkani or Tulu. Today more than 100 films are...
and the granddaughter of the founder Gopinath Dasa.