The ballet tells the story of Karthikeya, a warrior prince, through the Bharatanatyam style of dance – an art form involving elaborate costumes, bright colors, intricate rhythms, live orchestral music, and an emphasis on storytelling.
Karthikeya was the second son of Lord Shiva, one of the main Hindu Gods. The demon Soorapadma receives a boon from Shiva that makes him invulnerable to everything except for a power that emanates from Shiva himself. When Soorapadma torments the worlds, Shiva brings forth Karthikeya - the warrior prince whose purpose is to slay the demon. The ballet portrays the life of Karthikeya - his birth, events in his life that shape his character, his romances, and his battle with the demon.
The ballet is woven from events in Indian mythology – tales that have been passed down through the generations, and have been documented in texts in South Indian literature such as the “Kanda Puranam”.
The story of Karthikeya is told in 2 Acts. The first Act describes Karthikeya’s birth and the fulfillment of his destiny – the destruction of the demon Soorapadma. The second act portrays his romances with a princess and a tribal girl.
On this journey we visit familiar themes: “Good defeating Evil”; “Boy Meets Girl”, “The Power of Love” – themes that reverberate in popular culture till this day. But, we will also see the shades of gray. This is a story of imperfect heroes; of redemption; of forgiveness; of the possibility of change; of the unpredictably of life. Ultimately, for all its talk of gods and demons, this is a very HUMAN story. This is a story that embodies the navarasas – the 9 elements of human emotion and experience that is the essence of life.