In director Pandit Sandeep Mahavir’s play ‘Abhimanyu, The Fastest Feat’, a skilled classical dancer (Abhimanyu) finds his life turned upside down when he goes to the US only to realise he has failed to bring pride and wealth to his village in Rajasthan that is riven by drought. Still grappling to come to terms with his failure, he is urged by mother to build up the confidence to not let it hold him back from achieving more. With new vigour and zeal, he decides to participate in a popular dance show where his team is pitted against the Broadway dancer’s troupe and emerges the winner.
It becomes obvious right off the bat that the play isn’t just about the significance of classical Indian dance form - Kathak. It has got a lot to do with Abhimanyu's journey to proliferate his culture and spread his art as he fulfills commitments such as his realizing father's dream into reality, and finding solution to his village's problems.
Watching ‘Abhimanyu’ is an unforgettable experience. Right from the first shot - which captures the essence of Rajasthan with its colours that are both addictively rich and vivid – we are overwhelmed.
Whether it is the music, the choreography or the dialogues – the show succeeds in finding some genuine soulfulness of its own through each of its vital elements.
Expectations are set high within the first 20 minutes of the play. With its startling landscapes, architecture and exuberant colors - all adding life to each of the sequences - the play doesn’t get monotonous even for a single moment.
Taking up the challenge to spread his dance form abroad is Abhimanyu, who, despite having only the vaguest idea about the Western dance forms agrees to accompany a Broadway dancer to USA and join her troupe. Unable to cope up with the glitz and the glamour of the International theatrical world, he decides to come back to India.
As far as the love life of Abhimanyu goes - which also propels majority of the songs, it is quite engaging. While his love story is largely ‘filmi’, it is played lighter than usual.
Music leads from the front in ‘Abhimanyu’ too. With a compilation of 12 songs that are sung by popular singers Shankar Mahadevan, Daler Mehndi, Udit Narayan and Javed Ali, among others, the music is distinctive. These song offer the viewers an interesting blend of folk, tradition and contrasting cultures of India and the US. While each of the songs complement almost every segment, they also gives an insight into India's various festivals like Holi and Ganesh Chaturthi.
The play never drags, courtesy its warm and believable characters. With his perfect postures and spunky nature, Sandeep makes Abhimanyu into a likable lead and not just a good-looking hunk.
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