**Mahabharti Draupadi - Pooja Sharma's AT**#7 - Page 11

All of twenty and four years into marriage, Draupadi has had three husbands and two children already. Arjun had skipped the order and Nakhula, had to take his place. Arjun had forced himself into exile in the forest, and has had three dalliances, two marriages, that included, Subhadra, sister of Krishna. Arjun, was her husband now, based on an agreement between the brothers as advised by Sage Narada.

"If he never loved me, why did he have to win me in the swayamwar? He has always kept me at a distance. I still can't forget that night, when he unilaterally banished himself into the forest, because he accidently entered the bedroom when I was with Yud, Maybe he never loved me. It was a clever ploy to run away from me. Am I that horrible? Now he is pretending to be concentrating in a game of archery with Bheem, and avoiding me. Bheem is nowhere close to his prowess", Draupadi ruminated.

"How I so wish he smiles and catch my eye? I am struggling hard to avoid Bheem's stares. He is a darling, but very rustic and crude", she continued, depressingly.

Draupadi lay back, resting on a tree, gently caressing a long lock of her hair, and watched Arjun and Bheem bowed to each other.

"Are the babies' things packed for the travel?" reminded Kunti.

"Yes Amma, I have taken care," she replied. She did not relax the laziness of her posture or stop looking at the men.

"Anyways I got to get things sorted out, back in the kitchen. The maid always forgets to grind shikakai with hibiscus, for Arjun's oil bath tomorrow. Well, I only have a hold on the maids. No one listens to me anymore." Kunti sulked, as she walked back into her private quarters.

She had been noticing a sudden change in Kunti, from a mother who held her sons on a tight leash, to a graying old lady, loathing with self-pity. Her hair had whitened quite a lot and the change had been very sudden. She also noticed a change in herself, her attitude towards Kunti and other elders, or for that matter her multiple husbands. She started respecting herself, but that did not mean she stopped respecting others. She was increasingly getting tired of pleasing every one and seemed to get things done better in this state of increased self-confidence. And indeed, what did it matter if these people thought any less of her.

"What are you thinking?" she quickly turned her head to check who was talking to her.

"Sorry to have scared you, didn't mean to interrupt your solitude", Sahadev took a rough patch and sat a feet next to her.

"No you did not. I was just thinking if Amma was suddenly looking older. I have been having that feeling for some time now. Have you noticed it?" she wondered.

Sahadev smiled in return and paused, "time flies isn't it? Hasn't it been four years since you came?"

"Yeah, in the fourth year", she paused and thought of Arjun. "Next year I would be staying with you."

Sahadev smirked at the thought.

Draupadi was irritated at his body language, "what, don't tell me you don't like me?" visibly angry.

"No, no I was not being rude," Sahadev was quick. He was aware that Draupadi was prone to short temper. "I was only wondering how this rotation arrangement has been for you?"

"Finally, someone did ask my opinion. Congratulations Sahadev!" she clapped her hands in a manner of being contempt.

"Well, jokes apart, I have started enjoying and making the most of it," she laughed out loud looking at the horrific expression on Sahadev's face. "Now don't look shocked, otherwise I would have to pretend that I was shocked too, and it doesn't suit me. Well, life has thrown a challenge. I could either embrace it or be frustrated. Being depressed and mopping over what did not happen, doesn't suit me."

Sahadeva paused as if he was trying to say something very difficult. Draupadi turned towards the fighting men who were now working up a fine sweat trying to displace each other.

"Bravo, my Lord, bravo! You are the best warrior to fight using the gada (maze)", she was addressing Arjun, and that left Bheem amused and Arjun confused.

"Draupadi", started Sahadev, "I distinctly remember the day when you stepped into the hut at Ekachakra with Krishna after the swayamwar, before Amma unmindful of what had happened, asked us to share among us equally, as if you were some kind of eatable. You were brimming with happiness, pride, spunk and youthful spirit. Much had changed after, which we believed, you concurred and was happy. But for all your talk of enjoyment, I can sense that you are unhappy. I know that you are angry with Krishna for getting Arjun married to Subhadra. And now you are talking like this. This kind of cynicism doesn't suit you".

Draupadi took a deep breath and paused. She was looking at the grass with her eyebrows raised. "What would you want me to do Sahadev? But let me warn you, that I am increasingly getting tired of people who advise me." She looked at him, "didn't mean to be rude. The friend, whom I most trust, Krishna, knowing me so well, has done this to me. As if I don't exist anymore. You brothers will make your choices, even including who would sleep with me for the year, and I have to obey, as if I had nothing to do with the act," she paused.

"Krishna was the one person I thought who would look out for my happiness, but that is not true. It looks like the only person who has to be responsible for my happiness, is myself - not you, Krishna, Yud, Bheem, my brother or Arjun," tears rolled down as she tried to compose herself. "I am neither cynical nor bitter. I am just trying to be realistic".

"But I want you to be happy Draupadi" said Sahadev.

"Sahadev, you expect me to be happy! What have you or your brothers done, to understand, what I really wanted? How do you expect me to be happy?" she was agitated. "My marriage with you all, was just for convenience. All my father cares is defeating Drona, his arch-rival. Now that he has not one, but five sons-in-law to do his bidding. I hear that he is a happy, happy man. His daughter, of course, is the pawn traded in the process. To preserve unity between all of you, I had to marry not one man, but five."

"I have two children now. While all of you have other wives and colourfull affairs, I try being happy with what I have."

Sahadev remained silent.

Draupadhi looked at the men silently.

"Look at the way Bheem threw Arjun on the ground", she roared in laughter.

Draupadi relaxed again and smiled, "so tell me something?" she paused.

"Go on Panchali", insisted Sahadev.

"Have you ever thought of me, when I was with your brothers?" she smiled coyly.

"No," Sahadev was firm, "I don't think I am sufficiently in love with you, yet."

"Well let me see what we can do about that next year," Draupadi giggled.

Before Sahadeva could respond, Bheem let out a huge roar as Arjuna again, fell to the ground panting.

"Are you hurt honey?" Draupadi rushed to Arjun's rescue with towels and water, while Sahadev smiled, seemingly aware of the events that were about to unfold.

http://sriramvayer.wordpress.com/2012/06/10/draupadi/

WOMAN OF FIRE

1

2

3

4

5

0

Pooja Sharma read a lot of literature to understand Draupadi's chemistry with her five husbands. She tellsDivya Kaushik that it was a challenge to play such an intense character

There are interesting accounts of how actors research and work hard to get into the skin of mythological characters they fortunately get to play on small screen. But Pooja Sharma had an easy way out, most of her homework was reading, which she anyways is fond of.

Pooja least expected that she would get to play an important role in Siddharth Kumar Tewary's magnum opus Mahabharat. But as luck would have it, the role dropped from nowhere in her lap. "I was sleeping when I got the call asking to come for the audition for the role of Draupadi. I was not aware of such an audition and I asked if I can come the other day. They insisted that I should go on the same day. I went for the look test and since I went for it without any expectations I was not looking forward to it. But after a few days I got a call confirming that I will be playing Draupadi. Now when I think of it, I realise I was really lucky to play such an iconic character," said the actress.

Draupadi is perhaps the only woman character from the epic Mahabharata who has been written about the most, apart from the heroes of the epic. Plethora of text on her helped Pooja understand the character better.

"I knew little about her before I was doing this show. But once I started reading on her, I really wanted to know why she was known to be furious. After going through various books I got to know she was born as a young woman out of fire and that explains her basic nature. She was a woman of her words and believed in justice. Many believe that she was revengeful but I think only to a certain extent. I found out that she was the one who took care of Gandhari after the war of Mahabharat, after all her sons were dead. She was compassionate and caring too," informed Pooja and added that various books reveal that she shared different kind of bond with each of her husbands.

"It was Arjun who won her in swayamvara and it is said that she loved her the most. She respected Yuddhishthir for his values. It is said that Bheem loved her most and was protective. Since Nakul was the most handsome of all and was loved by women, she was different as a wife to him and if she wanted to have any discussion, she went to Sehdev," she added.

It is a challenge to play such an intense character but Pooja believes the experience will make her grow as an actress. "I can't say what after Mahabharat but one thing is sure that I will learn a lot. Not everyone is lucky to play such a role. I am getting used to staying in the character for long hours and be someone else I am not but I am sure all this hard work will pay off," she said.

http://mail.dailypioneer.com/vivacity/woman-of-fire.html