Delhi's "Viakuntha Players" Take Vedic Message to the Masses

If acting is meant to deliver a message, then that’s what the New Delhi based acting team Vaikunta Players do. The troupe performs plays that bring out the essence of literatures such as the Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam.

The group has performed at several major ISKCON events, but Vaikunta Players are also seen as contributing to inter-religious dialogue. The band was invited to perform at the ‘Church of Transfiguration’, a popular church in New Delhi.

The drama group formed in 2007 under the guidance of ISKCON Guru and Governing Body member, Gopal Krishna Goswami. Since then they have performed over two dozen different plays on Ramayana (Ancient literature describing the life of Lord Rama), Jayadeva Goswami (A Vaishanava saint), Draupadi, etc receiving critical acclamations for their performances.

“Though our band is young, we are trying to make the best use of facilities by blending the ancient Vedic teachings with today’s technology so as to make it reach the masses. Our plays include a significant amount of SFX (special effects), audio and video. This is what appeals to today’s generation”, says the troupe’s director, Adi Yogi Dasa.

“The Trial”, will be the first movie produced by the Vaikunta Players and is expected to hit the screens by December 2009 and would also be the first ISKCON movie to be shown in public theaters. “It’s about an argument between 2 lawyers challenging the existence of God in a court of law. ‘The Trial’ in terms of technology, would be as good as any commercial movie. Moreover, we will also be approaching the ‘Censor Board of India’ to get our movie certified and show them across the country”, said Adi Yogi Dasa.

This would be followed by the “Mahabharata Trilogy” and “Brihad Bhagavatamrita” in 2010.