Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: The Russians allegedly accused of performing black magic today have clarified that they were only practising classic Indian drama related to mythology.
“We conclude that we were simply misunderstood by some well-meaning locals, who only wished to protect their loved ones from something harmful,” said Olga Makhnovetsky, the Russian national.
He further said that they hadn’t taken us at face value and had the patience to understand that we were only doing a theatrical performance, not some ominous ritual.
“We are so inspired by this book and this ancient Vedic story that we want to make the film of Greatness of Saturn someday,” he added.
Olga Makhnovetsky, a citizen of the Russian Federation, and Mikola Dranich, a citizen of Belarus, a director and theatre actor (graduate of the Russian State Institute of Performing Arts Saint-Petersburg, Russia).
“I’ve come from the rich heritage of theatre and filmmakers. I’m a daughter of Yuri Marin, you may know. He is a celebrated Russian filmmaker who made the movie “Window to Paris”,” he added.
“We want to clear up the misunderstanding, which arose during our performance in the form of a rumour about black magic. We want to make it absolutely clear that we are not ministers of any cult or ardent supporters of any religious outfit,” he added.
The Russian said that the story of our performance belongs to an Indian epos about king Vikram Aditya and his 7-year ordeal on the planet Saturn.
“The whole story carries a strong legacy of Indian culture, which we love dearly. The event was held on a Saturday as it is the planet Saturn ruled by Shani Virgo,” he added.
They said that the colours used in telling this story are traditionally black and navy blue, from what we understand, which is – the reason for the dresses we were seen in.
“Honestly, we are heartbroken that our efforts to honour this ancient Indian story were met with such harshness. We’d much rather be accurately educated about our understanding of the Indian culture than be vilified for it,” he claimed.
