Set in the luminous kingdom of Vaishali, Amrapali and Buddha – The Enlightened Courtesan traces the journey of Amrapali, whose grace crowns her Nagar Vadhu. Rescued by Prince Bimbisara, destiny entwines their hearts in a poetic union of love and duty. Yet, political intrigue and the burdens of power tear them apart. When war engulfs Vaishali, Amrapali’s dance transforms from joyous celebration to a lament for lost peace and moral decay. Rejecting royal privilege, she embraces Buddha’s path of renunciation and spiritual awakening. Through evocative Kathak choreography by V. Anuradha Singh, the play unfolds across acts of passion, sacrifice, and enlightenment—portraying Amrapali’s metamorphosis from celebrated courtesan to awakened disciple, embodying the timeless harmony between art, devotion, and truth.
Director/Playwright/Translator
Anuradha Singh is an internationally acclaimed Kathak maestro, theatre director, playwright, and translator with over four decades of artistic excellence. Since 1985, she has trained and collaborated in theatre workshops with eminent directors such as Peter Brook, Eugenio Barba, Barry John, Ratan Thiyam, and Niranjan Goswami at Bharat Bhavan Rangmandal, Bhopal, supported by a scholarship from the Government of Madhya Pradesh. Renowned for her pioneering fusion of Kathak and theatre, she seamlessly integrates intricate footwork, rhythmic precision, and expressive abhinaya with dramatic dialogue, characterization, and staging. Her productions transform classical dance into immersive narrative theatre, vividly exploring mythological, historical, and spiritual themes while expanding Kathak’s storytelling vocabulary. A Gold Medalist with a Master’s degree in Kathak from Indira Kala Sangeet University, Khairagarh, she has performed at over 1,000 national and international festivals, debuting at the Festival of India in Moscow (USSR). An empanelled “Outstanding Category” artist with the Ministry of Culture’s ICR and Festival of India Abroad Cell, she is celebrated for her high-energy devotional performances, remarkable spins, precise ghunghroo work, and compelling stage presence. Honored with awards including the Hindi Bhasha Samman, Wakankar Samman, and Rai Praveen Samman, she remains a visionary ambassador of Indian classical arts.
Director’s Note
Amrapali and Buddha – Enlightened Courtesan is a dancer, whose journey is an exploration of beauty, desire, compassion, and the timeless human search for peace that threads beauty, destiny, and awakening into four acts. Set against ancient mandalas of Vaishali and Magadh, the piece presents Amrapali as a luminous conduit of grace whose choices shape kingdoms and souls alike. Lead, V. Anuradha Singh, embodies Amrapali’s radiant poise and unguarded vulnerability, guiding us through moments of triumph, tenderness, doubt, and renunciation. Dance and drama fuse to reveal a meditation on truth, duty, and compassion. Scene transitions move like breath—from spectacle of beauty to tenderness of love, from the thunder of war to quiet of renunciation. Buddha’s teachings illuminate the path: truth may sting yet liberates heart. Through abhinaya and bhajan nritya, we seek not merely to tell a story, but to awaken a shared sense of serenity and justice.
Group
Anuradha Singh founded Vrinda Kathak Kendra in Bhopal in 1991 with the mission of promoting and propagating Kathak in India and abroad while integrating it with theatrical performance. The institution conducts free workshops, seminars, and structured training programs to nurture newcomers in classical dance and stagecraft, presenting historical, mythological, and contemporary themes through dance-drama productions. Personally involved in teaching across its three Bhopal branches, Anuradha Singh provides rigorous stage training, and under her 35 years of dedicated leadership, more than 4,500 students have completed diploma, graduate, and postgraduate studies in Kathak along with theatre techniques. The center has earned international recognition, attracting visiting faculty from abroad. Known for her innovative fusion of Kathak and drama, she has written and directed acclaimed productions showcased at major festivals, strengthening her reputation as a cultural ambassador of Indian performing arts. For over two decades, she has organized two major annual festivals in Bhopal—Pandit Kartik Ram Smriti Samaroh, honoring her guru, and Chakradhar Mahotsav, commemorating Raja Chakradhar Singh—providing free training, costumes, and performance platforms to students and emerging artists. She also actively mentors school and college students, guiding them in staging Kathak and theatre productions.