Sushil Meher, a resident of Chichinda village in Odisha’s Bargarh district and a seasoned stage performer, has been selected to portray the pivotal role of King Kansa in the 78th edition of the Bargarh Dhanu Yatra.
The announcement was made on Tuesday by Mahendra Mahapatra, the Additional District Magistrate and Vice-Chairman of the Dhanu Yatra festival committee, following a rigorous three-day audition process that concluded on Monday.
Even as this will be Meher’s debut performance in Bargarh Dhanu Yatra, he is already well-known for successfully playing complex mythological characters, such as Ravana and Jarasandha, in other stage productions.
Committee secretary Sureswara Satpathy noted that Meher’s experience across various stages made him a strong choice.
The selection procedure was highly competitive, with 291 artists applying for various roles this year. For the central role of Kansa, 44 candidates applied, and 36 participated in the final audition where they were evaluated on voice modulation, stage presence, and dramatic intensity.
Expressing his gratitude and excitement upon being chosen to play Kansa in the upcoming Bargarh Dhanu Yatra, Meher said, “I had given my best shot. The question and answer session continued for more than 10 minutes and I am thankful to each and every person interviewing me and also the district administration for choosing me. There will be 3-4 languages in which the dialogues will be delivered and it is a great opportunity for me to showcase my talent.”
The Dhanu Yatra, considered as the world’s largest open-air theatre, is scheduled to take place from December 24 to January 3.
During the 11-day festival, the entire town of Bargarh is theatrically transformed. Bargarh becomes Mathura, the Jeera river represents the Yamuna, and Ambapali is transformed into Gopapur, collectively staging the mythological narrative of King Kansa’s reign and his eventual defeat by Lord Krishna.
