Some poignant moments
DIWAN SINGH BAJELI
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The Sangeet Natak Akademi's festival featured the work of only Indira Parthasarathy. That is a pity considering there were six more awardees.
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THE MAN AND HIS WORK Indira Parthasarathy (below) and a scene from the play "Koyil". PHOTO: SANGEET NATAK AKADEMI
Recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award-2004, Indira Parthasarathy is a leading playwright in Tamil. In the course of his creative journey spanning more than three decades, his dramatic works resonate with contemporary world trends like the theatre of the absurd and existentialism, reflecting the sensibility and the social concerns of his time and his soil. His plays include "Aurangzeb", "Nandan Kathai" and "Ramanujar". His works are frequently staged abroad by expatriate Tamil players. Delhi theatre-goers have already witnessed the Hindi version of "Nandan Kathai" which depicts the stigmatised world of untouchables who confront a society that robs man of his dignity.
A distinguished man of letters, Parthasarathy has been honoured by leading organisations with awards like the Sahitya Akademi (1999) and Saraswati Sammam (1999). This past week we got the opportunity to witness Parthasarathy's play "Koyil" (Tamil) which was performed by the School of Performing Arts, Pondicherry University, under the direction of Dr. V. Arumugham. This is a part of SNA's festival of awardees.
Folk parable
On the surface, the play appears to be a folk parable set in an unidentified and distant land ruled by an autocratic and cruel king but it contains lyrical undercurrents which convey the miserable life led by the masses in a class society, contrasting with the affluence of the idle ruling nobility. It also suggests in a subtle manner that globalisation will open the floodgates of naked exploitation of the poor people of the developing countries by the rich nations. The dominant mood is one of despair and gloom.
The king declares that he will construct a monumental edifice for the welfare of the people who are forced to bring stones to the proposed site. After going through this backbreaking toil for years, the people find that no such edifice is being built. Meanwhile the king dies and his son is enthroned, carrying on his father's inhuman policies and greatly increasing the suffering of the people who start dying of hunger. A sadist king offers them the powder made by grinding the stones to eat.
Director Arumugham was born in a traditional Theru-Koothu family, using this folk form to create a visually attractive production, creating the right ambience of a royal court with utmost economy. The stylised movements of the performers are marked by fluidity. The offstage chanting in praise of god reveals religion as the ultimate refuge of a suffering humanity.
However, one feels that the production is not able to create a complex pattern of society based on the exploitation of man by man. The king perpetuates exploitation but there is no resistance. There is little space for the conflict between the forces of antagonists and protagonists.
The director is a scholar of theatre, and an actor, which could have enabled him to impart penetrating insights into a production that raises fundamental contemporary issues of ensuring man his dignity and freedom. At best his production could be described as neat with poignant images of suffering and death.
It is a pity that out of seven awardees in the field of Indian theatre - two playwrights, three directors and two actors - the work of only Parthasarathy is featured at the SNA festival which is an important national event of drama, music and dance. Of course, Zohra Segal, who is elected Fellow of the Sangeet Natak Akademi (theatre), enthralled the audience with her poetry recitation. The inclusion of more theatrical pieces would have certainly enhanced the richness of the festival, showcasing the work of awardees to benefit theatre practitioners and drama-lovers alike.
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