This musical theatre performance in Mumbai explores mallakhamb and kalaripayattu

If you catch the bubbly chatty Australian theatremaker Benjamin Knapton art galleryhopping or savouring a bowl of his favourite dal makhani in the lanes of Bandra this week you couldnrsquot possibly guess that hersquos in the city to orchestrate a daring artistic endeavour Inspired by a 2017 visit to the Mallakhamb India school in Santacruz and a trip to the home of kalaripayattu in Kerala later Knapton will debut his new production Warriors mdash a theatrical relook at the two traditions mdash at the Royal Opera House Mumbai in collaboration with the Australian Consulate General The Centre of AustraliaIndia Relations and Avid Learning this weekendThe Mallakhamb India troupe at a previous performanceThe idea Knapton tells us is to open the audiencersquos eyes to the artistic expression and emotional undertones of the martial arts that are often overlooked amid the physical spectacle The audience is not the only one in for a surprise ldquoI was both excited and curious when I first heard about the ideardquo admits mallakhamb artiste Atharva Angre adding ldquoMallakhamb is already an incredibly dynamic and visually captivating sport This was the right opportunity to present mallakhamb in a fresh avatar while staying true to its traditional rootsrdquoA mallakhamb artiste showcases his flexibility and core strengthWhile itrsquos not the first uphill climb for Knapton who presented a simpler version of contemporary mallakhamb in the city in 2019 the inclusion of the CVN Kalari Sangham artistes ought to add a layer of challenge The director has just locked in the final structure of the 90minute show before we catch him over a call He gives us a peek ldquoThe show begins with artistes from both art forms showcasing their skills on stage together mdash much like a collage of traditions My favourite part though is a semiimprovised jugalbandi between a mallakhamb and a kalaripayattu artiste that plays almost like two jazz musicians riffing off each otherrsquos lines It will be a first for both the audience and the performersrdquo he revealsDonn BhatCitybased music producer Donn Bhat who shoulders responsibility to lay out the soundscape to this novel production admits that itrsquos not every day that you make music for a martial arts performance ldquoBeing a theatremaker Ben Benjamin usually throws musical ideas at me in terms of words and emotions To understand what his vision is and to bring it to life has been a fun experimentrdquo he laughs Angre chimes in agreement to the novelty of the challenge ldquoSynchronising our movements with live music requires us to adjust our routines timing and focus It was undoubtedly more challenging than usual but equally rewardingrdquo he addsBenjamin KnaptonAngre and his troupe might find some semblance of familiarity amidst all the newness though ldquoWe are using ambient sounds from the troupersquos home turf in Santacruz Sounds of airplanes flying past waves crashing and other chatter from the area are all part of the compositionrdquo Bhat reveals adding that the duo is still toying with South Indian sounds like the konnakol leading up to the premiereAtharva AngreWhat has kept an Australian theatremaker a Mumbaikar obsessed with experimental music and traditional artistes from two ends of the western coast together through four months of gruelling planning and trial and error we wonder Itrsquos the shared aim to take the indigenous arts to the global stage they agree unanimously ldquoWe performed a show at the Sziget festival in Budapest with the mallakhamb boys right before the COVID19 lockdown The audience there spent an hour after the performance talking to the performers about the intricacies of the art form We have seen the intrigue these art forms can spark in audiences from all walks of life If the premiere is received well we might just set out on a world tour with itrdquo Knapton signs offOn November 30 7 pmAt Royal Opera House Mumbai GirgaonLog on to insiderinEntry Rs 499 onwards