Gowri Ramnarayan is a prolific writer, playwright and singer. She has been privileged to be a part of several artistic and political lives. When you talk to her, you hear anecdotes that help you learn more about personalities you have only read about. One of them is pt. Ravi Shankar, who took the beat to the world. His music encompassed all the emotions and colors of life.
Over the years, Gowri has managed to seamlessly blend music, dance and theater into her storytelling. Her latest production, Enchantment, is a biographical play that offers a glimpse into the life of PT. Ravi Shankar. Gowri talks about the making of the play and how Panditji’s music opened up new dimensions of art for her. Excerpts from the interview.
What made you write a play about PT. Ravi Shankar?
It was in 2020, the centenary year of his birth, when the pandemic had shut down the world, that I felt compelled to write this play as a tribute to the iconic musician. Looking back, the idea actually took root in 1992, when I interviewed Ustad Vilayat Khan — often described as Ravi Shankar’s arch rival. The Ustad spoke at length about him. After the interview was published, I received a call from PT. Ravi Shankar. He had read it and wanted to talk. He shared how he had struggled with the unprepared comparisons he was subjected to — not only with Vilayat Khan, but also with his wife Annapurna, who was often considered a better artist. (The film Abhimaan is loosely based on their story.) He also spoke about how much of his inner turmoil was caused by anxiety — ironically, the very source of his unique creativity. His words stayed with me, frustrating with unspoken hints and unacknowledged complexities. It all ultimately led to this project.
Gowri Ramnarayan | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Is the play based on such memories or actual events from his life?
Drama thrives on conflict and contradiction. A biography by Ravi Shankar’s daughter Anoushka was published long after I wrote my play, but there were also two autobiographies. Anoushka’s book is a mix of profiles and interviews. It describes how the Maestro was swept from Benares to Paris as a poor child; won rave reviews as a dancer in London and New York; abandoned glamor and luxury for seven years to learn classical music under a martinet guru in the heart of little India; and later, as a grown man struggling to establish himself, he edged towards the brink of suicide before finally achieving global acclaim. His life and art were often overshadowed by controversy.
But emotions make a play, not information. I was lucky to have access to sisters Lakshmi Shankar (Ravi Shankar’s mother-in-law) and Kamala Chakravarty (his partner of 24 years). Both were friends of my mother and shared personal experiences. As a child, I was familiar with the Sitar legend as a family friend. As a journalist, I felt the nuances in the tone of his instrument and the feelings in his voice. The play came from these moments of vulnerability.
What do you think of Pt. Ravi Shankar as a person and an artist?
What can you say about an extraordinary genius? He was the first and most internationally recognized Indian musician – who moved east and west, north and south, and traditional and modern. He showed what world music and fusion really meant. However, my answer to that question lies in the play itself. And perhaps those who watch it may walk away with an image of him as a person and an artist.
What elements have you incorporated into the play?
All my works take cues from the Indian aesthetic tradition, which sees theater as an amalgam of words, visual images, music and dance. I use dance and music not as frills but to represent the complexities of modern life. They become parallel texts, especially when I feel that words cannot evoke the exact feeling in a given context. In Enchantment it became a seamless process. The protagonist was a dancer who turned into a musician. Moreover, interspersed with smiles and tears, Ravi Shankar’s compositions are scripts in themselves. Bombay Jayashri referenced them only when possible. Aditya Prakash, Vignesh Ishwar and Chaitra Sairam have added their competition notes. Renjith and Vijna have understood that in this bioplay, dance should be an extension of the mood.
Do you find writing an easy process ?
For me, writing a play is quick, easy. It means sweat and tears. You suffer all the pains of a sculptor pounding on rocks under the scorching sun and blinding snow. The scolding and hammering is essentially the editing process. But since I also direct my own plays, when the actors start speaking lines, we all see the flaws. Then I became a ruthless surgeon. The narrative evolved through my interpretation of memories, as well as those of others. It was fascinating to see Yohan Chacko, Aarabi Veeraraghavan and Vidhya Subramanian (cameo), delving deeper into their characters with each rehearsal session. How? With skill and understanding, of course, and by delving into what the actors call “emotional recall” from their own lives.
How do you think the audience will relate to the play?
A film about Nureyev is not just for ballet fans. A Mozart play is not limited to Western music lovers either. This play centers on a man who lived in our time, bringing with him the world and the values of Indian performing arts. However, I see Enchantment as a universal saga of people who pursue their dreams with passion, grit and conviction – never letting external obstacles or even their own stop them or give up halfway. Any writer or director of a play wants the audience to experience something that stays with them, changes their perspectives and comes to anchor in their hearts and minds. Isn’t that what the ancients called catharsis and what we call freedom? I will be satisfied with the audience’s empathy.
The play, which will be staged on September 12 (at. Tickets BookMyShow
Published – September 02, 2025 03:49 PM IST
