After premiering in Chennai last September and touring the US, Enchantment, play on Pt. Ravi Shankar’s life will move to Bengaluru this month. The play, written and directed by Gowri Ramnarayan and presented by JustUs Repertory, “enters the inner world of his doubts, regrets, struggles and the fiery determination that transformed him from a boy dancer in Paris into one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.”
Enchantment explores four phases of the sitar maestro’s life | Photo credit: Special Arrangement
Enchantmentexplores four phases of the sitar maestro’s life: when he was a small boy in Paris, he gained recognition as a dancer in his brother’s troupe; a student undergoing relentless music training in a remote Indian town; as an artist trying to make a career; and a global icon that puts Indian music on the world map.
“The Academy of Fine Arts in San Diego commissioned me to write a play to celebrate his birth centenary. Ravi Shankar was the godfather of the Academy and I was fascinated by the idea of writing a play on his life,” says Gowri. “I had no fears about the project, but I remained aware that I was writing about an individual whose life had been largely recorded publicly.”
The performance combines theater, dance, archival material and music | Photo credit: Special Arrangement
That’s why Gowrie says she had to find a way to “shape his character in a way that didn’t conflict with what people knew about him, but at the same time bring in a discovery factor. I needed to create something new that would still resonate with the people who knew him.”
To do this, she used his “human side”, which she said people liked about him. “I wanted to look at him as a person with vulnerabilities, and this challenge inspired me.”
Enchantment, which was staged at the Hubba Fest in Bangalore earlier this year, combines theatre, dance, archival footage and music and stars Yohan Chacko, Aarabi Veeraraghavan, J Narendra and Anjana Anand.
“I read two of his autobiographies and some biographies. But to get an idea of the man and his thinking, I think I relied more on the interviews I did with him over the years. Also, Kamala Chakravarthy, a family friend who was his partner for 24 years, spoke at length about Raviji, always with admiration, respect and some amusement,” says Gowri, adding that these conversations helped her understand some aspects of Raviji’s life. artist character who was cute.
Frame from Enchantment
| Photo credit: Special Arrangement
For example, the fact that he “spoke openly about his life. What also attracted me to him was the fact that he faced such negative criticism of his performances in the West, which deeply hurt him. Given his roots in tradition and spirituality, how could he not be shocked by the hippie audience at the Woodstock festival? But he had a greater purpose,” says Gowri, adding: “Pant Ravi Shankar witnessed Uday, his elder brother, made India famous in the West, and he wanted to introduce Indian classical music to the world stage in the same way. He did it in his own way, and who am I to question that?”
It is this “missionary zeal to put Indian music on the world map” that Gowri admires. “And he did what he set out to achieve; everyone else followed his example.” “Enchantment We’re not talking about Pt. Ravi Shankar is a musician, but the person he thought he was, with all the vulnerabilities. Most importantly, he saw the world become his stage. And that was my goal all along,” explains Gowri.
Frame from Enchantment
| Photo credit: Special Arrangement
Finally, what would Pt. Ravi Shankar said did he watch the play? “He would be intrigued by how someone else saw him. He might nod or shake his head at various points or simply chuckle. But since his entire life is a testament to his belief that artists are free to express their truth, he would not question my right to portray him.”
September 17 at the Bangalore International Centre. Admission is free; To RSVP, visit Bangaloreinternationalcentre.org/.
Published – September 10, 2026 09:40 EST.