The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : ‘Public interest in stage intact’

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Sunday, Apr 13, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

‘Public interest in stage intact’

— Photo: S. Siva Saravanan

From a bank employee of more than 27 years’ service to a stage artiste, news reader on the TV and then a permanent fixture in a number of major TV serials. This is quite an evolution of an-ever smiling man who bubbles with enthusiasm speaking about drama.

He is one who believes “it is better to light a candle than cursing darkness”.

S.Varadharajen, popularly known as ‘TV Varadharajen’, asserts that the interest of the audience in dramas has not waned despite the media explosion.

But it definitely has undergone some changes thanks to the rapid pace of life, he tells G. Satyamurty.

He is organising a week-long drama festival at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Coimbatore, from April 9.

Mr.Varadharajen, who started acting in 1976, remarks “the quality of drama is as good or as bad as it was in the olden days and is capable of drawing the same audience. Similarly, the ‘rasigathanmai’ (sense of appreciation) also remains intact. But the pace of life has changed. Earlier, most of them were returning home from work spots by 5.30 p.m. and hence could take their family out even on weekdays. Now they are able to reach home only by 8.30 p.m. and thus they are left with hardly any leisurely evening on weekdays”.

He points out Chennai has produced several drama troupes.

While K. Balachander switched over to the big screen long ago, Cho S.Ramaswamy, who led a famous troupe, has stopped acting because the average age of his members is 66 now.

But even now, S.Vee Sekar specialises political comedy and keeps on adding even the day’s news, ‘Crazy’ Mohan enjoys mistaken identity and YG Mahendra does both comedy and serious themes and also satire.

In 1970s, dramas were conducted all the days a month, even to full houses. Then sabhas were providing ready-made audience.

But the number of sabhas has dwindled to hardly a dozen now.

For instance, Villivakkam, the most populous constituency in Chennai, does not have a single sabha.

“I have proved that we can get good audience if at all we are prepared to stage the play close to their area of living. For instance, even in Tambaram, a drama I staged had full houses. People are prepared to patronise the dramas provided they are able to walk up to the drama hall. Thus has emerged the concept of neighbourhood cultural organisation as in the case of community paper. Hence what is of utmost importance is identification of a correct location for staging a play,” he says.

He admits that stage has been mostly appealing to the middle and upper middle class.

“It was M.R.Radha who said he alone is capable of staging dramas beyond Tambaram (away from Chennai city) because he alone could vibe with the lower sections.”

Mr.Varadharajen, who heads the United Visuals troupe, specialises in family themes.

“I am not only a middle aged hero but also a middle class hero. I believe my drama should have some inbuilt humour as a purely serious theme will be very difficult to sustain. Artistes also should have some responsibility for the society. Hence, it should have some message and make people think. For instance, after the completion of a show of my ‘Plastic card’ drama, a 10-year-old girl thanked me for making her realise how an unwise use of credit card could lead to disaster.”

Similarly, his ‘Aasaikum aasthikkum’ has a message for parents who send their children abroad.

“Not all such children desert their parents. They are still affectionate but are invariably misunderstood due to circumstances,” he adds.

Most of his dramas are scripted by ‘Vedam pudhidhu’ Kannan.

“I have not exhausted my middle class topics and hence do not have plans for any other theme.”

At the same time, he does not want to portray anything very negative.

He laments that the major problem now is that nobody knows anything about rate of admission for dramas.

“Why don’t we fix it as in the case of cinema?” For instance, Ranga Shankara theatre at JP Nagar, Bangalore, stages dramas of various languages for just Rs. 50 all days.

Besides, all the district headquarters should have a good auditorium and the Government can extend this facility.

Mumbai has a number of such auditoriums with good facilities which are provided at a nominal rent.

Though no other State can boast of so many drama troupes, Tamil Nadu does not have a good place even for rehearsal, he says.

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