Indian actor Anupam Tripathi in Seoul, April 30 / Courtesy of Bereket Alemayehu
Indian actor Anupam Tripathi, best known for his featured role in Season 1 of Netflix's "Squid Game," is returning to the stage for “The Third War,” an experimental opera and theatrical production.
The production is written and directed by Bonn Park, a German Korean playwright and director known for creating immersive and highly imaginative theatrical worlds. The music is composed by Ben Roessler, who has previously collaborated with the director on several acclaimed productions.
In an interview with The Korea Times, Tripathi emphasized themes of joy, coexistence and representation, as immigrants are an essential part of the story.
“In the play, I’m from the foreigners’ world, and I play a father character," he said. "Our world talks about happiness and joy. We try to present even the smallest things in a joyful way through music, costumes and operatic performance.”
"The Third War" is set in a fictional world where magic exists. It explores conflicts between three different nations through perspectives that examine how truth, fiction, fear and propaganda become distorted during times of war. Throughout history, the three nations have maintained relationships, sometimes being friends, sometimes becoming enemies and then becoming friends again. The world has enjoyed peace for more than 100 years, but a series of events, media reports and the spread of a narrative have gradually led to a hostile environment that fosters despair, anxiety and dissatisfaction.
The work combines fantasy, opera, music and theatrical storytelling to reflect on contemporary anxieties surrounding global conflicts and social divisions, which seeks to portray the shifting boundaries between truth, fact and falsehood.
Although the production features many characters, Tripathi emphasized that no single person dominates the stage. “Everybody is the main character," he said. "The real main character is the show itself. Every character has meaning and importance.”
As an immigrant artist himself, he believes stories about migration and diversity are essential in contemporary art.
He added that the production aims to transform fear, particularly fears surrounding war and division, into something emotionally meaningful and visually beautiful.
Source: Korea Times News
