A Tamil dance theatre production that revolves around the challenges that artists face as they balance passion for their art with the practicalities of the world they live in. With utopian expectations of their future artistic journeys, three friends with different circumstances, ideals and goals step into the world as dancers. They soon discover that the qualities of the world do not match the qualities of the art they practice. As they chase their ambitions, their reality shatters their dreams. Will their ideals survive? Will their dreams overcome the obstacles they face? Will they hold on to their vision of the art? When society does not understand the purpose of art, where does that leave the artist?
It was a uniquely fulfilling experience to be able to create this piece while I was still a student. I was working with my friends and being guided by my teachers. I had been wondering about what would happen when I stepped out of the comfort zone of Kalakshetra. It was an imminent discovery. A leap of faith. How would I find myself as an artist and my place in the artistic community? The program was also informed by many private conversations with artists discussing the need to compromise on our ethics in order to exist in this society. Bringing these provocative, important conversations to the stage was the intent that led to this production.
-- Cadence Mandybura, October 2009, The New Indian Express (Performance of Mudivil Oru Aarambam hosted by Alliance Fracaise, Chennai)