Focus on the middle class
KAUSALYA SANTHANAM
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The audience was able to identify with the hero’s dilemma and his romance with a piece of plastic that has become an inseparable part of modern life.
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Photo: G.Praveen Raju.
boon or bane?: Plastic Kadavul.
It is a double-edged sword. The credit card that comes in handy during times of need, if used indiscriminately, can lead you into debt and even into the trap of death. This was the message conveyed by United Visuals’ “Plastic Kadavul̶
1; staged recently by DBS Cholamandalam at the Rani Seethai Hall.
The play had topical relevance and managed to put across its message in an entertaining fashion. The credit goes to the writer, C.V.Chandramohan who had penned the dialogue in a sparkling manner. The play was also directed well by “TV” Varadharajen. Humour was inbuilt into the script and the actors performed their roles with flair. The spotlight was focussed on the middle class, the familiar milieu of the Tamil mainstream.
Mental turmoil
Varadharajen once again portrayed the aspirations and the mental turmoil of the middle-aged protagonist in his typical natural style. Conscientious but fallible, he fights a losing battle in trying to manage his finance and lands up desperately in debt. The audience was able to identify with the hero’s dilemma and his romance with a piece of plastic that has become an inseparable part of modern life.
The protagonist here takes the dictum of “living within your means” to the extreme. His wife Seetha (played with great understanding by veteran actor Usha) struggles with the household chores. She still uses the old fashioned grinding stone and the electronic gadgets in the couple’s home are highly outdated.
When his brother gets a job in the bank and has to meet the target of 100 credit cards, the hero finds himself the unwilling owner of the key that cries “open sesame.” But he is trapped and the transformation is rapid. Having tasted its power, he goes berserk and soon finds himself deeply in debt. As the last resort, he turns to the evil moneylender and is almost sucked into a whirlpool.
A steady pace was maintained in the first half. But the second half dragged quite a bit and the tone changed completely to the overly serious. The wife’s lecture to her husband when he attempts to put an end to it all was overlong and loaded with sentiment. In the first scene, the brother of the hero, who continually grappled with his ill-fitting clothes was an eye sore. The actor who played the part needs to work more on his role. It was also not such a good thing to see and hear, the sets being drawn together with a protesting squeak to form the background in one scene.
Most grating were the bits in the dialogue where the moneylender (Ravikumar) talks to the elderly landlord (“Binny” Ramachandran) in a contemptuous, dismissive manner and it draws derisive laughter from the audience!
Using vintage film songs to bring home a point goes down well as it evokes nostalgia but it is not high in originality. The theme songs were sung by Veeramani Raju. Themes like these can outlive their relevance quickly in a rapidly changing world. United Visuals’ previous play dealt with the present day obsession with Vasthu. This time it is the credit card. Will it be the cell phone next?
Overall, “Plastic Kadavul” is a well-rounded and creditable effort with attention being paid to the music and lights. The play arouses laughter and also sounds a much-needed note of caution to the reckless borrower.
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