Enchantment brings Ravi Shankar’s story to Bengaluru on September 17

The sitar stays silent in *Enchantment*, Gowri Ramnarayan’s play about Pt. Ravi Shankar, which comes to the Bangalore International Centre on September 17.

Presented by JustUs Repertory, the production traces four periods in Shankar’s life: his childhood as a dancer in his brother Uday Shankar’s troupe in Paris; his rigorous musical training in a remote Indian town; the years spent building a career; and his emergence as an artist who took Indian classical music to audiences worldwide.

Ramnarayan wrote the play for the Fine Arts Academy in San Diego during Shankar’s birth-centenary celebrations. Rather than retell the musician’s achievements alone, she focuses on his doubts, regrets, struggles and determination. The work draws on his autobiographies, profiles and interviews Ramnarayan conducted with him over the years.

After premiering in Chennai last September and touring the US, *Enchantment* was also staged at Bengaluru’s Hubba Fest earlier this year. Yohan Chacko, Aarabi Veeraraghavan, G Narendra and Anjana Anand perform in the production, which moves between theatre, dance, music and archival material.

The September 17 show has free entry; attendees must RSVP through the Bangalore International Centre.