For three days this week in April 2023, the St. Andrews Centre for Philosophy and Performing Arts in Bandra, Mumbai, was the site of the unfolding of an unusual story. Morning Star, a play written and directed by sociologist Dr Omkar Bhatkar, presented a perspective that is rare in mainstream narratives. For 120 minutes, the audience could co-imagine the life of Mary before she became the blessed mother of Jesus Christ. While most stories about Mary start at the annunciation, i.e. when the angels told Mary about her extraordinary mission, Morning Star ends at that milestone.
A bold artistic choice by a non-Christian in a Southasian society where Christians are a minority warrants some curiosity. Interfaith research scholar and Sapan News contributor Urmi Chanda spoke to the writer-director to understand why he had chosen to tell this story.
Urmi Chanda: What was your primary motivation to explore and depict the story of pre-annunciation Mary? What does this play tell us that we do not already know?
Omkar Bhatkar: It happened while I was doing research. I realised that Mary’s life is not as short as it seems to be – it is a proliferous life and I wanted to make a biopic on her, from birth to death. The only way to write with integrity is to write it in separate stages. Morning Star is what I hope will be the first of a trilogy.
This first installment, I believe, will be like a revelation to the audience because her life is shrouded in mystery. What is commonly known about her life is from the point of her conception of Jesus but this play shines a light on other aspects. Aspects such as the question of entry of women into Jewish temples at that period, or her growing up years in Judea.
A lot of what is known about Mary comes from a white, Western perspective. Is your play more attuned to the sensibilities of Christians (and non-Christians) in Southasia? If yes, how so?
Yes, a lot that is known about Mary comes from the Marian devotion and as you put it, the Western perspective. What I have done for this play is delved into multiple sources, from different faith traditions – such as the holy Quran, the Christian mystical writings, and even Jewish sources. So, what you get to see is an amalgamation of perspectives, and I feel whatever the religious identity of the audience, Catholic, Christian, or non-Christian, everyone will have something to take away from the play. Of course, having Southasian actors also makes for a strong point of identification for those watching it here.
Creating a play on a strongly religious theme using a lot of imagination to fill gaps in historical or Biblical information must have been a daunting task, especially at a time like this when people are so readily offended. How have you tried, if at all, to avoid any controversies?
This is a very, very interesting question. Yes, it was a daunting task bringing the three faith traditions together, because certain accounts in one religion do not necessarily tally with accounts elsewhere. So how does one come to a decision of what to show from which religious reference? All I have tried to do is make as coherent an artistic biography of Mary’s life on stage while being faithful to writings. In doing so, I have tried to arrive at a common ground in all of them. Therefore, I think this play transcends from being only Catholic, and takes on a more holistic tone.
Also, not everything available on Mary’s life is historical, and therefore there is an element of imagination or storytelling that one must depend upon if one has set out to make a piece of art or theatre. In the process of making this play, I have tried to remain as sincere as possible to what the Mary of this play wants to say. I have tried to be sincere to the ritual of the theatre and believe that the outcome is such an alleviated experience for the viewer, that I have my doubts that anyone would get offended by anything. But yes, I realise that it is a very thin line working with subjects like these.
Finally, it is not always about facts, facts, facts. Literary fiction offers ideas, values, and emotions that are relatable too.
What do some of your Christian audiences and counterparts feel about this kind of interpretation?
I closely relate to the manner of thinking and working of the painter, Angelo da Fonseca, in whose Biblical art you will see attempts to bring the idea of Indian Christianity or Indianness, so there is some tendency in rooting my works in local contexts. However, I do not think I have rooted Morning Star so much in Indianness as in pluralism. This play is not really a religious work – I am inclined to call it secular, spiritual, and even cosmopolitan, in a manner that connects it with our real lives.
What is important is the relatability of the story and the characters. This applies for my Christian audiences too, most of whom are emotionally and spiritually moved by what they see. You see, for them Jesus came alive, Mary came alive, and offered something of a spiritual experience. And one does not even need to be a Christian for this. The play belongs to all, whatever the religious identity.
And finally, I have a question about authorship and identity… Your scholarship of religions and philosophy notwithstanding, does your apparent Hindu identity pose any internal or external hurdles when creating works like these?
I have been fortunate to be able to pursue the scholarly path with religion, but what is even better is that I have been able to translate that into art. I approach these themes as an artist rather than a Hindu person, and in all such works I have created, I am lucky to have had only positive feedback. In fact, though born a Hindu, I think of myself as a plural being… isn’t that what we all essentially are?
I want to believe that the works are powerful enough to help transcend audiences beyond the question of the religious identity of the author. Of course, it felt like a challenge the first time I attempted a work like this, but the plays have been able to speak for themselves.
Urmi Chanda is a culture writer, researcher of religion, and a peacebuilder. She is based in Mumbai, and can be reached on urmi.chanda@gmail.com.
This is a Sapan News syndicated feature. All photos courtesy Dr Omkar Bhatkar
*Note on Southasia as one word: Following the lead of Himal Southasian, Sapan News Network uses ‘Southasia’ as one word, “seeking to restore some of the historical unity of our common living space, without wishing any violence on the existing nation states”. Writing Sapan like this rather than all caps makes it a word that means ‘dream’.