The saga of a hero
SUJITH MENON
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Rajan Muliyar brings to life the Bheema in M.T. Vasudevan Nair's `Randamoozham.'
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BRAVE HEART: Rajan Muliyar's aim is to enact M.T. Vasudevan Nair's `Randamoozham' in 500 venues.
M.T. Vasudevan Nair, M.T. to Keralites the world over, has given a new dimension to the life and characterisation of Bheema in his work `Randamoozham.'
And watching Rajan Muliyar bring to life M.T.'s Bheema on stage is an enthralling experience. One is magically transported to the age of the epics with seamless simplicity. The single-act monologue is an attempt to examine and shed light on Bheema who is delegated to the back seat for his simplicity and forthrightness. Yet, he lived as a dutiful son, faithful brother, loving husband, father and a brave heart who wreaked revenge on the battle field.
Rajan's telling portrayal, ably scripted and directed by Gopi Kuttikol of Kasaragod Sunday Theatre, is a must for all lovers of the stage. The duo has succeeded in bringing M.T.'s Bheema to life. "Before a receptive audience, my personality undergoes a change, and the actor in me becomes one with M.T.'s Bheema," says Rajan.
Condensed version
The hardest part, Rajan says was to effectively enact the role in less than an hour. This called for expertise, imagination and teamwork between the performer and the creative writer-director. It is here his vast experience and the full support of Gopi Kuttikol have come to fruition.
Influenced by the Mahabharata at a very early age and also by his uncle Kunhiraman Nair's stint as an actor, the stage fascinated Rajan. This passion had earned him the best actor in Calicut University's `A Zone' Drama Competition. His aim is to enact `Randamoozham' in 500 venues. This was his fiftieth performance.
Enacted on a stage illuminated by lighted torches, Bheema comes to life as the son of Vayu Deva, the God of winds. Blessed with immense power but forced to remain silent most of his life without giving expression to his natural self, the story unfolds with Bheema giving vent to his feelings.
In retrospect it raises many questions: Was it not Bheema who killed each adversary face to face without any treachery or deception? Was it not he who had no private goals to achieve or gain anything in transit? Was he not the legitimate heir to the throne because of his conquests in the war as was the custom in those days?
The very incongruent nature of luck and justice makes Bheema human. These questions remain an enigma for the viewer; for he has to decide for himself what Bheema deserved .
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