Nishango Ishwar: The Loneliness of a God

The war is over. The Yadavas have fallen. Lord Krishna, once the orchestrator of destiny, now sits alone in a forest, awaiting his final moments. As the weight of divinity fades, the man beneath begins to surface. He looks back—at his victories, his losses, his unfulfilled desires. Stripped of myth and worship, what remains? A deity shaped by legend, yet burdened by longing. He yearns—not for power, but for the fleeting moments of human existence, free from the weight of divinity. But can Krishna, the Purushottam, ever truly be human?

Directed by Suman Saha and presented by Bengal Repertory, Nishango Ishwar draws inspiration from Mahaprasthana Parva, a section of the larger Mausala Parva, to delve into Krishna’s final moments and the profound conflict between his divinity and humanity.

The play unfolds through Bhana Rasa, a unique dramatic form from the Natyashastra, in which a solo character engages in a deeply personal monologue, interacting with unseen forces and emotions. This format amplifies Krishna’s inner turmoil—his conversations with himself, his past, and his fate. The performance is hauntingly visualised through a symbolic piece of fabric, which becomes a metaphor for Krishna’s struggle. It conceals and reveals, signifying his oscillation between human vulnerability and divine inevitability. The cloth, shifting between shadows and light, becomes the thin veil separating Krishna the man, and Krishna the god.

What does it truly mean to be divine? The play presents the god as profoundly lonely—worshipped yet never understood, sought after but never comforted. Devotees ask for blessings, miracles, and salvation, but does anyone ever ask what the god desires? Krishna’s isolation raises a fundamental question: Is godhood a gift or a burden?

The play does not provide answers—it forces the audience to question. It challenges perceptions of destiny, free will, and the roles we are born into. If gods too, are bound by fate, what truly separates them from mortals? Who defines the line between the divine and the ordinary? Perhaps, in questioning Krishna’s fate, we begin to question our own.

Nishango Ishwar is not just a play—it is an experience, a mirror reflecting our deepest uncertainties about faith, identity, and existence. If you seek theatre that provokes thought and lingers long after the final act, this is a performance you cannot afford to miss. Book your tickets now on https://metawards.com/ or on bookmyshow.com for the 20^th META showcase and witness the god who stands alone, yearning—just like us.