From Sindhudurg to the city: Dashavatar set to entertain Punekars

In the last couple of months, Dashavatar has garnered interest of people across Maharashtra, primarily due to the eponymous Marathi film featuring Dilip Prabhavalkar and Siddharth Menon. But for the people of Konkan, especially from Sindhudurg, Dashavtar presentations have been a part of culture for ages. Now, Punekars are set to get a taste of these authentic performances over the weekend. An effort by Sidharth, the Dashavatari Mahotsav will see Dada Rane Konaskar’s troupe performing three Dashavatar shows in three days in the city.

A gesture of thanks and a pitch for exposure: Siddharth Menon Dashavatar artistes are no less than celebrities in the Sindhudurg region. At times, they are also called to do presentations in other cities for the Konkani community. Despite huge potential, the exposure that people have to this form of theatre is limited. Siddharth tells us that his aim is to bridge that gap. “While working on Dashavatar, the movie, I was exposed to this folk-art form. It intrigued me that such beautiful presentations don’t have a wider reach,” says the actor, adding, “My effort of bringing them to a city like Pune and doing a full-fledged fest about Dashavatar is to give this form and the artistes the deserved exposure. It’s also a small gesture of thanks for their contribution to the state’s culture.”

This one is for the art and the artistes: Dada Rane Konaskar According to Konaskar, Dashavatar is not just a medium of enjoyment but also of social change. “We bring stories from Indian mythology to life in an entertaining way. Plus, each of them leaves you with food for thought,” says Konaskar. In his 34 years of performing in Dashavatar, Konaskar has also written over 150 scripts for these shows. He adds, “We have done a few shows in other places like Mumbai, Aurangabad, Pimpri-Chinchwad and even Delhi, but these were limited presentations. The Dashavatari Mahotsav is the first dedicated celebration of our work in a city like Pune. Moreover, it’s being done for the art and artistes, not for personal or monetary gains. That makes it more special and we have Siddharth to thank for this.”

What is Dashavatar? A form of folk theatre, Dashavatar performances are done by troupes of local artistes. Having been in existence for over 800 years, Dashavatar brings to life the 10 avatars of Lord Vishnu through mythological stories from the puranas. Crude but effective light effects, makeup and performances are the USP of these productions.

Dashavatari Mahotsav: When and where? Nov 7 (Friday): Tilak Smarak Mandir, Tilak Road @ 9.30 pm
Nov 8 (Saturday): Pune International Centre, Pashan @ 7 pm
Nov 9 (Sunday): The Box, Erandwane @ 8 pm