Fun overtakes enormity
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It was a week of mixed successes at Ranga Shankara, with Birugaali and Undadi Gunda working spectacularly well, but Jameela Bai Kalaali disappointing by not addressing the real issue of homosexuality
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HIGH VOLTAGE PERFORMANCES Birugaali, an adaptation of The Tempest was in danger of letting comedy take over the play, though the production was multi-layered and abstract at time
Ninasam's wandering repertory, `Tirugaata', appears to have found a really talented bunch of artistes this year, going to go by the quality of the productions. the repertory is touring with now. It felt good to watch their plays in Rangashankara, because they were so much more watchable compared to some of the plays presented at the recent national theatre festival, held at the same venue. What a pity, the crowds that thronged to see those plays, which turned out to be pretty mediocre, missed the experience of some really good theatre.
No longer bound by their rigid formula regarding the choice of plays, the repertory appears to have chosen two adaptations of western plays for this year's tour. While Birugaali was an adaptation by Kuvempu of the Shakespeare's classic, The Tempest, Undadi Gunda was Oliver Goldsmith's She Stoops to Conquer, retold by Parvathvani.
Kuvempu's adaptation of `The Tempest' was published in 1930, long before Caliban came to be regarded in a more sympathetic light., more as a victim of colonization than the evil one. Except for Indianising the names of people and places, Kuvempu leaves the original plot fairly intact. His Prospero/Bhairavanayaka is a man of divine disposition, an ascetic, who has gained his powers through study and meditation, able He and one who is to forgive even those who plotted against his life. though he has them under his power.
Directing the play in today's context, Abhilash Pillai cannot but be aware of the post-colonial readings of the play. This awareness is obvious in the way he shows the transformation of Shaniya/Caliban from a primitive tribal to a more `civilised' person, his representation of the wicked brother as a combination of the media and the superpowers, and in his innovative use of plastic and metal for props and costume. In contrast to these were the stylised movements, which had a classical, ritualistic touch to them.
Known for his design, Abhilash Pillai had created a sand pit shaped like a boat in the centre of the stage and this served both as the tempest-tossed ship and the little island Prospero rules. The tempest scene with the passengers swaying to rhythm, behind the a stylized ship painted on gauze, was particularly striking. By splitting Ariel into two Kinnaras, he was able to bring in more symmetry into his choreographic compositions.
Though the production was multi-layered and taken to the level of the abstract at times, there was a danger of the comedy taking over the play. The high voltage energy of the artistes who played Shaniya, Bheemanna and the Kinnara gave the play a tremendous lift. The other artistes were equally competent. Chandran Veyattummal's music was quite haunting and added to the beauty of the play. The comedians got full license in Undadi Gunda, an out and out comedy, directed by Ekbal Ahmed. The play, in the way Ekbal had conceived it, was as far from Parvathavani as Parvathavani is from Oliver Goldsmith. Full of physical antics, acrobatics, modern dance and music, the play showed Ekbal at his characteristic best. By turning the suitors into software engineers settled in California, Ekbal had not only brought the comedy closer to our times and taste, but turned it into a satire against globalisation and the rush for the U.S visa. Ekbal has exploited every comic device available - in terms of caricature, witty repartees, satire, physical feats, music, dance, costume, make-up, mime etc. Songs, scripted by Kotaganahalli Ramaiah and set to music by Subhash Harekoppa, were particularly delightful. Hemanth rendered them really well. Though all the actors were talented, agile and graceful, Charan C.S, Shekharappa, and Mahadevu Hadapada outdid the others in every role they did.
Laxmi Chandrashekar
Evading the issue
Surani's production of Jameela Bai Kalaali closed the Ranga Shankara Theatre Festival. The play is adapted from Mario Vargas Llosa's La Chunga, and set in rural Rajasthan. Like the original, the name of the adaptation is also the name of the protagonist and the bar she runs. The present adaptation seems filtered taking in only the story from the original play, and not the underlying themes. The lesbian overtones have been played as a fantasy of the men who come and drink at the bar. The turning point of the original play is in the silence of La Chunga. Many people see the silence as the key to the story of the young girl's disappearance and her fate. "What did you do with her? When will you tell us?" the men ask La Chunga and her only response is her silence. At this point the playwright begins to play with the fantasy of the audience at large.
However, in Jameela Bai Kalaali, two things about the way the plot and themes are dealt, are disappointing. One, a scene detailing what actually happened to Chameli is explained. Later, Jameela Bai explains to the audience that her love for Chameli is of a maternal kind.
Jameela Bai Kalaali joins a list of plays that don't want to address homosexuality. This play stands proof of the fact that merely conforming to a story does not make for a successful adaptation. The `tall ageless woman' of Llosa's La Chunga is subverted. While talking of the changes, Ila Arun, who adapted the play says in Theatre Alive "... and with Rajasthan comes the colour and music of the state which I thought was perfect for the play." Strangely though, the play had a mix of recorded and live singing, which seemed out of place. The lead actress, Ila Arun, a singer and performer let down her audience by not singing live on stage.
Ila Arun as Jameela, remains cold on stage. While one can interpret this as Jameela's defence against the men who taunt and provoke her, the coldness in speech and facial expression continue in her interaction with Chameli (Rajeshwari Sachdev). On her part, Sachdev was trying very hard to fit into the role of Chameli. K. K. Raina, Ravi Jhankal, and Mitwa stood out with their energetic delivery and movement in their individual scenes with Arun and Sachdev. They were convincing in their portrayal of common thieves. Rajit Kapur was good as Jabra. Though his Hindi had an urban touch to it, his obvious study of a village thief and pimp, showed well in all the scenes. For a play that has been performed for nearly eight years prior to this performance, Jameela Bai Kalaali displays unacceptable glitches, like not camouflaging the lights on stage. On the whole, Jameela Bai Kalaali was disappointing.
Deepthy Shekhar
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