Arja Cupak Gerantang is a popular Balinese Drama which is usually performed during a temple ceremony or indeed at any kind of ceremony. This video was shot during a temple ceremony at Banjar Sakeh in Tabanan Village, Bali. The drama tells about Cupak’s journey, village by village in search of his younger brother (Gerantang), who has run away from home. On his journey Cupak meets many people and has many experiences. He’s finally reunited with his brother Gerantang and together they rescue the King’s daughter from an evil giant. Cupak’s character represents the greedy, lazy, and cunning side of human nature, whilst Gerantang is brave, handsome and generous. But, as we shall see, Cupak is also a gifted healer and “it takes all sorts to make a world”.
This video shows two brothers – a blind man and a deaf man. They help each other as the eye and ear for one another. They meet Cupak who asks them to play with him. They say they’ll play with Cupak if Cupak is able to heal them. The brothers are then healed by Cupak and they play with him as they promised. After playing, Cupak tells them about his missing brother, Gerantang. Cupak then asks the brothers to find Gerantang.