Ancient playwright Bhasa is considered a pioneer in the realm of Sanskrit plays. Little is known in academic circles about the times he lived in, as works earlier than those of Bhasa are unavailable, it’s assumed that he lived between 2nd BCE to 2nd BC. It is commonly agreed upon that Bhasa was an architect of Sanskrit plays. His works make a fascinating reading. Recently, in an informative literary talk on his play Pratima Sanskrit scholar and exponent of Annamayya compositions Varanasi Venkateswara Sarma of Chaitanya Brothers duo elucidated the significance of Bhasa’s literary craft on the premises of Lalitha Peetham in Visakhapatnam.
This great playwright of yore remained relatively unknown except for being mentioned in glowing terms in the works of later day playwrights like Kalidasa till the first decade of previous century. It was in 1912s Pt T Ganapathi Sastry unearthed his works that came to be known as ‘Bhasa Nataka Chakram’ amounting to a set of 13 plays. Bhasa’s works do not confine themselves to principles of play as propounded by Bharata’s Natya Sastra; in their deviation they stand singularly unique both in craft and treatment.
It, in a way, suggests that Bhasa belongs to earlier times than Bharata, though there are no valid accounts for this.
Not much is known about his life but his works are classic in their own right.
The thematic choice for the play Pratima is from the epic Ramayana. The play in its seven acts deals with the question of Rama’s coronation, his exile, and return to Ayodhya in a gripping manner. Even in the portrayal of characters that carry a negative shade in original, like Kaikeyi, Bhasa chose to present in a positive and sympathetic way. Kaikeyi is depicted as enduring all slander so that a noble end is achieved.
The play leaves out episodes like Ravana’s end and even key characters like Hanuman, Vibhishana and Indrajit etc yet continue to hold its dramatic sway undiminished in its emotive appeal. Even in his liberties with the original where he introduced new aspects like ‘ Pratima griham ’, hall of statuette, Bhasa was singularly imaginative that invested his works with abiding appeal.
Contrary to usual portrayals of types rather than individuals in Sanskrit plays, Bhasa chose to portray his men and women as they are.
They stand live, plain and frank. Strong characterisation in its realistic shades marks out the works of Bhasa and Pratima is no exception, Venkateswara Sarma observed.
B. Aruna Kumari presided over the event hosted by Visakha Sahithi.
