Students of Bharatiya Rangashikshana Kendra stage play ‘Vigada Vikramaraya’; To be re-staged on Dec. 25, 26, 27

Mysore/Mysuru:The students of Bharatiya Rangashikshana Kendra of Rangayana, Mysuru, last evening brought alive on stage the episodes the peak and end of the rule of Dalavai Vikramaraya of the Mysore State.

As part of their Practice Series theatre experiment, the 2025-26 batch students staged the play ‘Vigada Vikramaraya’ at Vanaranga in the Rangayana premises.

The play took the gathering back to the 1637, when the Kingdom of Mysore was ruled by Maharaja Immadi Raja Wadiyar, during which his inefficiency in administration and womanising ways, led to Dalavai Vikramaraya serving as the de  facto ruler.

The play brings to the fore how Vikramaraya’s conniving ways led to the killing of Immadi Raja Wadiyar by poisoning through Rajamata Thimmajammani and appointing of wrestler and the deceased Maharaja’s cousin Kanteerava Narasaraja I (fondly known as Ranadheera Kanteerava), as the new ruler, intending to control him as a puppet.

However, wicked Vikramaraya’s plans backfires and ends in his own death as Ranadheera Kanteerava turns to be compassionate towards his subjects.

All these episodes were put to life by each and every performer on stage assuring a promising future of the theatre.

The play written by Samsa, is directed by Salian Umesh Narayan. Lighting by Mahesh Kallatti, stage design by Janardhan, costume design by B.N. Shashikala and properties by K.R. Nandini.

On-stage artistes

 Sarvesh (Raichur)- Vikramaraya; J. Nishal (Bengaluru) – Sri Immadi Raja Wadiyar & Ranga; C.N. Darshan (K.R. Nagar) – Sri Ranadheera Kanteerava Narasaraja Wadiyar; M. Madan Raj (Anekal) – Nireesha, villager; Tejaswini Hegde (Shirsi) – Rajamata Thimmajammani & villager; Saraswati (Kushalnagar) – Tungaraya; G. Venkat Kishore (Chennai) – Alagarajaiah; Pooja (Hassan) – Apsara, Rudravva & villager; M.V. Arpitha (Hassan) – Chendavve; S.H. Kiran (Mysuru) – Chenna, villager; Ajit Bijapur – Jatti, Gowda & villager; Gadigeppa Bhavi (Haveri) – Bommaras Pandit, Jatti, villager; Shivaraj Jalihala (Bagalkote) – Jatti,    villager; K.M. Ravi (Hassan) – villager.

The play will be re-staged for three more days from today — Dec. 25, 26 and 27 — at Vanaranga in Rangayana premises at 6.30 pm.