The play Dootvakyam (The Message of the Ambassador) by Bhasa is a one-act Sanskrit drama drawn from the Mahabharata, detailing the critical, last-minute peace mission of Lord Krishna to the Kauravas court in Hastinapura. Krishna, acting as the Pandavas’ envoy, attempts to dissuade Duryodhana from war by asking him to return the Pandavas’ share of the kingdom or at least grant them five villages. The dramatic tension is built entirely around the fierce verbal clash between the divine ambassador and the stubborn, prideful king. Duryodhana adamantly rejects peace, boasting he will not yield any land. In a climactic moment, Krishna attempts to overwhelm Duryodhana’s obstinacy by revealing his majestic universal form (Visvarupa), but the Kaurava king, remaining unmoved, orders Krishna’s arrest. The play concludes with Krishna’s departure, signifying the complete failure of diplomacy and the tragic certainty of the impending Kurukshetra War.
Director
Born in Chhatiarda, north Gujarat, Professor Govardhan Hemchand Panchal qualified himself in painting under Guru Nandlal Bose of Shanti Niketan. His innate abilities for theatre led him to perform on stage before Guru Rabindranath Tagore. Later, he took to designing sets. He joined the National School of Drama as an Assistant Professor for Scenic Designing and Theatre Architecture. Prof. Panchal designed sets for around 80 plays and dance-dramas and read over 70 papers in various seminars and symposia. He has also authored six books on theatre subjects including Koothambalam and Kutiyattam – A study of the traditional theatre for the Sanskrit drama of Kerala and illustrated all of them himself. He is the recipient of several prestigious awards and honours, including the Sangeet Natak Akademi award, New Delhi. His lectures and demonstration lectures are preserved by A.I.R. and Doordarshan. Prof. Panchal directed four Sanskrit plays in the authentic style based on Natya Shastra, of which Prabuddha Rauhineyam received national recognition.
Group
Tulsipatra Art Foundation, registered in 2019, utilizes Theatre, Films, and other Arts to promote harmony, righteousness, and inspire social education. Over the last five years, Tulsipatra has actively conducted theatre/Bhavai workshops at various institutions, including Gujarat University and GLS Faculty of Law. Their productions have focused on diverse themes, such as the folk play Jithrobhabho, Kranti na Pathdarshak, and Samjuni Vat. The Foundation designs and executes awareness campaigns in collaboration with several Gujarat-based NGOs.