New Zealanders will have a rare opportunity of witnessing a spectacle culled from the pages of Indian history early next year.
Taj Mahal: A Dance Drama will be a cultural extravaganza, highlighting an era that saw the construction of a magnificent monument which later became one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.
Aiswarya Entertainments Limited is organising the event in dance, music, drama and artistic formats in Auckland City early next year.
With colourful costumes, exquisite settings, stage properties, lights and sound, it would be a production without parallel for the Indian community in New Zealand.
In consonance with New Zealand’s multi-ethnic and multicultural social fabric, participants in this mammoth production are of Indian, Indo-Fijian, Maori, Samoan and European extraction, promoting goodwill and understanding. They also belong to the Hindu, Muslim, Christian and other religions, enhancing interfaith cooperation.
The Project has been in the making for more than three years, involving planning, sourcing, composing and recording original music and sound track with the mellifluous voice of S P Balasubrahmanyam.
The Dance Drama will incorporate songs and dances based on a number of Indian classical style including Bharata Natyam, Kuchipudi, Kathak, Kathakali and folk dances such as Rajasthani and Zufi. With exquisite costumes and jewellery, it will be a resplendent showcase of India’s culture and heritage.
Our anxiety to have authentic settings, music and dance led us to Narsing Rao, an internationally acknowledged producer, director and choreographer of dance dramas. The Hyderabad based Director of Nrityanjali Academy was in Auckland in April and May to audition and select more than 80 performers from various dance schools, community groups and others.
Among them was Natasha Trilokekar, an accomplished Bharata Natyam dancer who performed her Arangetram on May 22, 2004 under the tutelage of Narthana Aalayam Director Kalaichchelvi Uthayakumaran (Indian Newslink, May 15, 2004).
“Natasha is a dancer par excellence and her commitment to the art and dedication to the role of Mumtaz, the beloved wife of Shah Jahan are commendable. I am confident that we have made the right choice in engaging this youngster to perform the main role in the Dance Drama,” Mr Rao said.
The costumes are being made in India by professional designers who are aware of the style, colour and texture of the dresses worn by the Royalty, courtesans and the people of the 17th Century Mughal India.
We are in the process of completing 3D animations and back drop designs in India.
Mr Rao said he was keen to produce and present a show that would be distinguished and distinct from other forms of entertainment.
“Taj Mahal will truly be a dance drama that would capture those pages of history that have given the world one of the finest monuments of all times. Behind the façade of Taj Mahal, which is a photo stop for Heads of State, celebrities and tourists, rests a tale of romance that has no parallel. Such a tale has never been told in a format that would appeal to a cross-section of the international community,” he said.
Taj Mahal: A Dance Drama will be one of the largest Projects of its type undertaken in New Zealand. While all production aspects such as stage properties, costumes, jewellery and music are being made in India, the performers were chosen locally to reflect the aims and objectives of his entertainment and event Management Company.
We established Aiswarya Entertainments Limited three years ago to promote Indian culture, with its ethnic mix and social ethos, explore and expose local talent through quality programmes.
We have envisioned Taj Mahal as a cultural platform to bring together all New Zealanders.
This is an Indian dance drama, belonging to the Mughal period but we believe that all its recreation should involve a cross-section of our cosmopolitan and multicultural society. As such, the cast includes people of Maori, European, Pacific Island and Asian origin working alongside Indian talent and make this a truly national show.
Dr Rita Sasidharan (the first Indian Medical Oncologist in New Zealand) and Sasi Nambissan (a Chemical Engineer) are Directors, Aiswarya Entertainments Ltd based in Auckland.
