Chennai-based Bharatanatyam dancers set to reclaim Draupadi

Draupadi, also known as Panchali, is one of the most powerful and tragic figures in the Mahabharata . Her life was marked by profound injustice humiliation in the Kaurava court after being gambled away by her husbands, and the relentless trials she endured as a woman navigating a world shaped by male honour, ego, and war. Over time, Draupadis story has been retold through countless texts, poems, and performance traditions ranging from classical dance and theatre to modern feminist reinterpretations each seeking to reclaim her voice, rage, and resilience. In these retellings, she emerges not merely as a victim, but as a fierce woman who challenges patriarchy and destiny alike. Acknowledging the many tellings and retellings of Draupadis story, yet choosing to create a new production because she believes there is still something more to say, is Navia Natarajan, a Bharatanatyam artiste. This whole production comes from a personal space. I had performed a smaller piece last year which was an exploration of exemplary women in Indic wisdom and at that point, something within me stirred, she says adding that as she navigated her own struggles, she began to see reflections of her life in Draupadis story her silences and questions echoing those of the ancient heroine. It was through my journey that I understood that it is easy for a womans truth to be misunderstood and how only few stand by women when the world turns away. This, she says, made her realise that she had something to say about Draupadi. For Navia, performance has never been just about the episode unfolding on stage but about the emotion that emerges through it and how we all connect to that emotion. She believes that while our circumstances may differ, the feelings they stir are often the same with only their intensity changing. As she explains, My attempt has always been for the audience to connect to that shared emotion, to feel it and receive it, rather than look for a direct reflection of their own story. A performance, especially a solo work, is not merely a retelling of an event its an exploration of what lies beneath it. That has been my intention with this piece. As she lived with the idea for this production, it evolved and deepened, shaped by the shifting circumstances of her own life. Now, after this journey of growth and transformation since March this year, the work will finally come to fruition on Wednesday, titled Draupadi Unbound. Navia Natarajans Draupadi Unbound will be staged on November 19, at 6 pm, in RR Sabha, Mylapore, for Trinity Arts Festival.