"Sitaayana"

Sitaayana, the journey of Sita, is a voyage through the tumultuous life of Sita Devi, consort of Lord Ramachandra. We see Sita, in the ashram of Sage Valmiki. She has sent her children, Lav and Kush, to be reunited with their father, Lord Rama. Through her reminiscences, the saga of Sita unfolds before us, that enables us to view the great incidents of Ramayana, through the eyes of Sita, the key protagonist.

This is Sita, pensive, nostalgic and serene. In the autumn of her life, Sita ponders over her relationships with the ones closest to her, and discovers her frailties. While engaged in carefree play with her friends, Sita, the beautiful princess of Mithila, gets a glimpse of the dashing and handsome prince Rama — Was it a chance meeting, or a rendezvous pre-ordained? In the forest, Sita responds to the fragrant beauty of nature from her soul, and prefers this simple life to one in the city. This idyllic existence is destroyed, all because of her impetuous nature. Lord Rama sets off into the forest, to fulfil her insistent demand to have the golden deer. When Lakshmana tries to reason with her that the cry for help they heard could only be a trap, she wounds him with cruel and harsh words, and taunts him. What provoked her to insult Lakshmana, the epitome of loyalty and filial love? Just as the moth is fatally attracted to the flame, so is the heart of a woman, often plunging into irrational and impulsive decisions that can destroy lives. A lonely incarceration, followed by the triumphant entrance of a victorious army — and Sita dresses in her finery to meet her lord. Does she see a hint of doubt in his eyes? To prove her fidelity, she willingly takes the test of fire.

At long last, she returns to Ayodhya, this time to take her rightful place, as the Queen. In the peaceful interlude she enjoys the presence of her lord, and relates her desires and hopes to him. Alas, she is cast aside by him, on suspicion of being unfaithful. We return to Sita, having walked with her through her turbulent life. She understood the compulsions of her husband and devoted her life to him - did Lord Rama recognize the woman in Sita? "Sitaayana" is a collaborative work, bringing prominent experts from different fields. Sources for the 'sahityam' are the Sampoorna Adhyatma Ramayana in Sanskrit, the Kamba Ramayana in Tamil, and the celebrated poem 'Chintavishtayaya Sita' of Malayalam poet Kumaranasan. The lyrics were composed by Prof. Madhusoodanan Nair (Malayalam), Dr Maheswaran Nair (Sanskrit) and Prof. Sreepadam Eswaran Nampoothiri (Manipravalam) The music for 'Sitaayana' has adapted from the rich folk and ritual music heritage of Kerala. The lyrical meters of ancient art forms such as Kurathi pattu, Panan pattu, Nagan pattu and thiruvathira have been creatively used. These have been juxtaposed with classical ragas. The musical direction is by Shri Madhavan Nampoothiri. The script and conceptualization is by Dr. Neena Prasad and Shri Madhavan Nampoothiri. The choreography is by Dr Neena Prasad.