The Prophet: Destiny. Divinity. Doubt
The Prophet is a solo Bharatanatyam Dance Theatre production choreographed and performed by Savitha Sastry. It is based on a short story of the same name by her husband AK Srikanth, who is also the Producer of the show. The music is by Rajkumar Bharathi, great-grandson of the freedom fighter and veteran poet Subramania Bharathi. The production premiered at Bangalore’s ADA Ranga Mandira Auditorium on 20 October 2013. The presentation has been highly acclaimed for its unconventional and intense denouement. Plot
The Prophet tells a fictional story of a woman named Devaduta, following her life from her adolescence through to her last days. Devaduta is born in poverty, and her childhood is marred by unending toil, and her relationship with an abusive father – a drunkard and a child abuser. At one point, Devaduta starts hearing a voice that she identifies as the ‘Voice of God’. She escapes from her home, to find employment as a cleaner at a dance academy. The guru at this academy identifies a spark in her and trains her, to see her blossom into a danseuse par excellence. With her fame and fortunes, Devaduta goes on to build an Ashram to help needy children, while being constantly guided by the ‘Voice of God’. Her social work and the fact that she hears ‘the Voice of God’ gets her the epithet of ‘The Prophet’ from the people. However one day the voice tells her she has a year to live, and this realization completely shatters the equanimity of Devaduta. The story goes on to explore the relevance of a Prophet in a world deemed to be created without hierarchies by God. 