The storyline is projected in English supertitles. The spoken sections are still long enough that more translation would enrich the non-Manipuri speaking audience s grasp of this verbal layer of the work. For all of the physical and vocal training these players have, there remains a refreshingly rough quality to the performance that forces one to think about the fine line between trained and slick. When the male and female ensembles or the chorus of four work together, they often execute the same steps, yet they never become a machine of clones. Not all the feet hit the floor at the same instant.
Individual voices stand out within the ensemble.
Rather than feeling wrong, this effect creates a sense that groups still comprise individuals. In a story about individual redemption, this is subtly powerful.