Andha Yug (1989)

October 9, 1989 (IN) • Drama, War, History • 90m

Overview

"Andha Yug"—literally 'Age of Blindness'—is an allegorical play written in the aftermath of the Partition of India by Shri Dharamvir Bharti. Rooted in the epic Mahabharata, this landmark 1989 Delhi performance was staged for the Nehru Shatabdi Samaroh Festival and has since been preserved by the Natya Shodh Sansthan, Kolkata (NSS). Set on the final day of the Kurukshetra war, the narrative chronicles the end of the Dvapara Yuga and the immediate descent into the dark Kali Yuga, triggered by Lord Krishna's demise. This five-act masterpiece explores the moral collapse, cycles of revenge, and psychological trauma of war. It depicts the pyrrhic reality of the Kali Yuga—the worst, shortest, and darkest of the four cosmic ages—in which recursive violence degrades the fabric of civilization, blinding individuals to reason as they are forced to reckon with the devastation's fallout.

Director

darkness despair allegory moral ambiguity mythology mumbai (bombay), india melancholy tragedy tragic hero morality vhs india chorus blindness fratricide expressionism bloodbath epic battle yuga cycles anti establishment hindu mythology stage performance hubris krishna eulogy stage adaptation war trauma classic literature vengeance internal conflict moral crisis political allegory bloodletting ancient tale lord krishna war historical epic minimalist mumbai theatre theater play vhs release world of darkness indian cinema psychological drama doordarshan drama verse adaptation hindi film vhs tapes mahabharat pandavas kauravas indian mythology vhs film melancholia and loss those who do not know their history are condemned to repeat it. kurukshetra free verse minimalistic chiaroscuro anti-war partition of india theatrical play epic tragedy melancholic official adaptation moral collapse war aftermath history repeats itself indian theatre marathi theatre pyrrhic victory vindictive brutality microcosm partition of punjab kali yug dharamvir bharati andha yug the radcliffe line attari-wagah border five act play naseeruddin shah natya shodh sansthan 4:3 nehru shatabdi samaroh abhinaya