Cursed Ravan

This story is not just of a particular person or a community, but of a unique ideology. How a person develops his art with his intense hard work and immense dedication, garners the applause of the people. "Abhishpt Ravan" is the summary story of how his performance in Kalakshetra wins the hearts of millions and then how one wrong decision of his changes the course of his life.

This story starts from the entire district of Odisha, where every person, every street and every locality has a special culture. First Ishwar Jagannath and second Akhara. Here the arena is not just a game or a medium of entertainment, but a feeling, a possibility, a custom and the definition of a human heritage. Every youth here worships Jagannath in his heart and loves the akhada very much. Like every year, a festival has been organized in the same village, where Ramayana will be presented like a drama. And like every time, this time also lakhs of people have come and along with that some people from Indian Dramatic Arts Commission have also come. Keeping in view the debate that has been going on for years and the demand of the people, the government has decided that now this folk art should be given the status of an approved theatrical art, that's why the people of the government camp have come here to see this drama.

The main attraction of the play is "Ravana", whose role is to be performed by Shivdas(35). The eyes of the whole village are fixed on him. Don't know how many years he has been practicing this and don't know how many times he has fascinated people with his acting and dancing. Even today people are desperate and restless to see him. All the people of the locality and the arena are also impatient because today their destiny will be tested and they have to pass this test in any condition.

Just then an announcement is heard on the mike that compared to every year, this time Ravana is going to wear the heaviest weight costume and tat, which will be a new dimension. A new Bishwabikram will be created. Ravana comes on the stage removing the curiosity of the people. Night time and clouds are thundering in the sky and lightning is crackling, as if the four directions and the sky are also eager to welcome Ravana.

Ravana begins his dance and delivers dialogues. People are overwhelmed by Ravana's dialogue and dance. The moment comes for which everyone was anxiously waiting, that main verse dialogue of Ravana. As soon as Ravana goes to speak to him, lightning strikes loudly in the sky and a large thread of Ravana's costume breaks, causing Ravana to lose his balance and fall to the ground. Everything seems to stop, time stops. People get shocked, the akhada people get upset.

From there we go straight to the past where we see Shivdas who is now only 7 years old. Works like a servant in the temple of Jagannath. But Shivdas's mind is always in the arena, whenever he gets time he immediately reaches the arena. There he sees everyone practicing and tries to do it himself. Seeing his dedication and devotion everyday, Guru Madan Panda (40) of the Akhara allows him to practice. From here begins the story of a true passion and intense hard work which was going to touch the heights of success in the future.

He had love and affection for the arena, and above all, under the training and auspices of the Guru, he began to flourish. Gradually, with the passage of time, the age also started increasing and the art of the akhada also started developing.

Now his age is around 17 years. In the meantime, he has also started performing in the akhada and has started becoming an identity in every locality. That's when he meets a girl Mahima(15). Mahima Odishi is taking dance lessons and lives near Shiva's house. Shiva likes Mahima very much and he is now getting attracted towards her. Mahima also slowly starts liking Shiva's friendship. Both start spending time with each other.

The Shiva who did not go anywhere everyday except the temple and the arena, knew and understood nothing; He was now so attracted towards glory that he could not see anything other than glory. Neither used to work properly in the temple nor used to give full time in the arena. On the other side Mahima was in the same condition, she too was not paying proper attention to dance for Shiva. The love of both was diving in the ocean of time and was dreaming of touching the heights of love.

Then one day Madan ji comes to know that Shiva has started loving a girl. He gets very angry after knowing this. The next day, he calls Shiva to the akhada and humiliates him a lot and orders him to leave the akhada. In the evening, Shiva is sitting alone on the beach, sad and dejected, that's why Madan ji comes there. He gets a little nervous seeing Madan ji, but at this time Madan ji makes him sit near him with great love and respect and explains. Regarding the culture, tradition and discipline of the arena. Playing the arena and following the rules, both are very important. Explaining to him, Madan ji says, women and intoxication are the enemies of the arena. One should stay away from them as much as possible. God has given only one age to man. Once the time has passed and the age has gone, it will not come back. There is an age for worldly and household life, before that it is very important for a person to refine his inner talent.

Shiva now understands everything about the Guru. He had understood that if he wasted time in love, he would lose the arena, which he never wanted. And he will have to choose between Akhara and Mahima. He did not want to leave Mahima but he had no other way to keep both the things together. And he could not stay away from the akhada that's why he decided not to see Mahima's face after today.

That is exactly what happened and then he never saw Mahima nor tried to meet her. With time, he became so attached to the akhada that the wounds of his love healed. Now playing in the akhada had become his life and he had a dream to once again play the role of a bound Ravana. But both his age and body were too small for him. He worked twice as hard day and night as he put in sweat and blood to make himself capable and unique. Now he is 25 years old. Both age and body have increased. Not only has it grown, it has become so strong, shapely and powerful that it can overpower 10/15 people at a time.

Now Shiva has started playing the role of Ravana and looting applause from the people. His Guru Madan is very pleased with his failure. And over the years Shiva has also made a friend, whose name is Pratap (25). He is Shiva's best and closest friend, who plays the drums and drums during his performances. Both of them met in the temple and while working there their friendship became firm. Both always live with each other, share happiness, smoke cannabis and do akhada.

For so many years, Shiva has achieved so much mastery while becoming Ravana that now it seems like a game to him and he finds it very easy to do all those things which are very difficult for others.

Slowly the day of the festival is coming closer. This time the people of the government are going to come to see the arena. That's why the concern of all the people of the akhada has increased and everyone is trying their best to make this fair a success. This time Shiva has been chosen for the bound Ravana and all the responsibility of the akhada rests on him, because he is the main attraction of the fair.

One day while practicing Shiva tells his Guru Madan ji that this time he has to do something different, something new which no one has ever done in history. On being asked by the Guru, he tells his mind that this time he has to wear the heaviest heaviest heft and costume and make Bishwabikram. Knowing this thought of his, Guruji gets a little worried and forbids him to do so. But this time he has become stubborn that he has to do something different. No one walks in front of his stubbornness. It seemed that till yesterday, the child who was doing hard work and dedication to participate in the akhada with a true heart, today he has considered himself to be the God of the akhada. Ravan has become arrogant.

In the end it is his. According to his statement, it is being publicized everywhere that this time, instead of 40, Shiva will act as a bound Ravana by wearing a sackcloth weighing 70 kg.

Soon the day of the festival arrives. Crowds of people throng to see Ravana, as well as government people and people from the Indian Drama Commission are also present. Then the same thing happens that we saw in the beginning. With the breaking of the sack, like Ravana's ego was also broken.

Now the people and officers present there all start talking to each other. Everyone's happiness starts. Ravana lying on the stage gets up slowly but only then the lights go off.

half time.

The next day Shiva does not leave his house, when Pratap comes to meet him, he does not meet him either. Some days he locks himself inside the house, does not talk to anyone. On the other hand, the word spreads in the village and in the nearby akhadas that Shiva acted badly and ruined the name of the akhada. Because of this he is spit on everywhere, condemned. Those who were praising his talent till yesterday, today the same people started condemning him. There are whispers in the whole neighborhood and Shiva becomes the topic of discussion.

After a few days, Shiva used to come out of his house, but now he did not have the same gestures as before. He had changed, did not talk to anyone, used to remain silent. He didn't have the courage to make eye contact. Ravana's pride was broken, along with it everything inside Shiva was broken. Now no one used to invite him to the akhada nor asked him to do anything. Except Pratap, everyone had left him. Seeing Shiva's troubles and sorrows, his family members got him married to a girl named Namita (25). Slowly with time people stop talking to him but Shiva never forgets that insult. Now Shiva has a son (Raghav 8).

He is also very fond of the akhada like Shiva. Shiva has now started giving training in the akhada. His Guru Madan ji has given the responsibility of the arena in his hands. He strictly trains everyone, but some young boys do not like him. But no one even says anything on his face. Raghav plays with his friends and sometimes he has to be humiliated because of Shiva. Still he sees his father teaching him. Seeing like Eklavya, he also starts learning tricks. Slowly with time Raghav grows up, Shiva starts getting old. Raghav has now become an accomplished akhada player but has never taken direct training from his father. Like his father, he also has a passion inside him and also the spirit to do something.

He has a dream that one day he will erase the stigma on his father. Because only a few years of his childhood he talked to his father and got his love. After that till date father and son never talked to each other. Despite having a million evils, the first and only returning hero of his life for Raghav is his father Shiva.

Here, during the training, Shiva has to face insult once or twice. Some new boys insult him. There Raghav tries to intervene but cannot say much. On the other hand, the thing that Shiva is trying to forget till today, his dark past comes in front of him again and again in the form of condemnation, contempt and humiliation.

Once again the preparations for the festival are done in the village. Once again the news of the arrival of the government people and the people of the World Heritage Organization spreads. Once again, after so many years, a wave of new energy runs in the locality. Everyone starts preparing. But Shiva now stays away from everyone in his house, does not go to the arena. The training doesn't go well, Pratap gets scolded by everyone and tells the whole story of Shiva to those who had insulted Shiva. Shiva was not at fault this night, it was the fault of the one who did not tie the headdress properly. Bad weather was at fault, enthusiasm to do something different was at fault, dreaming big was at fault.

Hearing all this, everyone comes to know about Shiva's real story and feels sorry. But an arrow shot from a bow and a spoken word can never be taken back.

Everyone together tries to make Ravana bound this time to Raghav. But who would say this to Shiva? Then all together go to his house and request him to allow Raghav to become Ravana.

Shiva remembers everything. How once he had gone in search of an opportunity and today the wheel of destiny has turned. Today the opportunity itself has come to him. But he feared that history might repeat itself. What happened to her should not happen to her son. But he had seen and knew about his son's enthusiasm and hard work, that's why he could not even refuse.

"Talented Consent Symptoms".

On this basis, he keeps silent and gives permission and blessings to his son. The villagers are now happy. On one hand the preparations are going on in full swing and on the other hand an endless wait is about to end. Shiva watches the preparation silently everyday with Pratap.

This time the Mohotsav is completing 100 years, so there is a grandeur in everything. Finally the day also comes for which both Shiva and Raghav were waiting. On one hand the son's enthusiasm, enthusiasm and the dream of changing the father's identity was about to come true and on the other hand the waves of fear and dilemma going on inside a father. There is apprehension and prayer to God that the son should not be with what has happened to the father. Two people on both sides were preparing for two great battles.

The fair has started. The game of the arena started. Here Shiva's dance started on the beat of Pratap's drum. As the game progressed, the sound of Shiva's footsteps became louder. Meanwhile, the moment also came when Raghav Baddha came to the pandal in the guise of Ravana. The weather was bad even today, there was lightning in the sky. People were remembering the day when Shiva was at the pandal on such a night, that's why everyone was scared.

On the other hand, Shiva was also dancing very fast and was listening to the entire activity of the arena with his ear and was watching from a distance.

Here, Ravana established a new height of his acting. Removed all the stigma on the father and showed it by presenting the most successful performance till date. It seemed as if Shiva himself was doing it and not Raghav. The atmosphere echoed with thunderous applause and there was a lot of praise among the officers for Raghav in the form of Ravana and for the whole arena. The son finally did what Bao Pa Ja had dreamed of.

On the other hand Shiva fell down while dancing and became silent. Pratap was screaming very loudly, but under the sound of applause and noise, his voice got buried and along with it a life got buried. Shiva's wish to see the end was never fulfilled. He was yearning all his life to get rid of this curse, but even while dying, he got a cursed death.

With this the story of "Abhisapta Ravana" ended here. The son came to meet the father, but his happiness also turned into tears after seeing the father.