Roopa Viroopa, Indianised version of Beauty and the Beast, to be staged in Bengaluru

An Indian version of Beauty and the Beast will be presented in Bengaluru this Sunday. Titled Roopa Viroopa, it is a presentation by GoBrahma Productions and Shivapriya School of Dance, and explores the power of a love that beyond external appearances.

Like the French tale, the story follows a village girl and a cursed prince whose outward form has turned beastly. This reimagined version is a fusion of Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kuchipudi, folk dance and martial arts blended with theatre and music.

Speaking to The Hindu about the show, Roopa Prasad Doraswamy, founder of GoBrahma Productions says Roopa Viroopa is a celebration of love and the eternal truth that real beauty lies within. “Our target audience is the younger generation who can connect with the story of Beauty and the Beast. Through this tale, we want to introduce our traditional art forms to younger audiences and get them back to auditoriums, that is our end goal.”

GoBrahma is a Bengaluru-based live experience venture dedicated to reimagining traditional Indian movement arts for global audiences.

Comprising over 40 dancers on stage, the show has been conceptualised and composed by Sanjay Shantaram, a Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi dancer. Founder of Shivapriya School of Dance, Sanjay has blended tradition and innovation in his previous works as well, including Matsyakanya and Apoorva Bharatam.

Talking about the making of Roopa Viroopa, Sanjay says the idea came to him when he saw the French story performed on Broadway in New York in 2004. “I realised I wanted to present it to Indian audiences, integrating elements from our traditional forms of art, and that is how Roopa Viroopa came into being.”

“It is not only for connoisseurs, but also for those who do not follow the classical dance forms, and a show like this can be a way of introducing it to them.”

Sanjay says each art form will have its own segment in the theatrical, and the finale will see all the elements come together. “The first part and finale will be a blend of everything, presenting a merged theatrical to the audience,” he adds.

Roopa Viroopa will be staged at Good Shepherd Auditorium on Sunday at 7pm. Tickets can be booked here.