Ode to Monsoon
G. JAYAKUMAR
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The programme ‘Monsoon Dreams’ evoked the spirit of the season.
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Celebrating the rain: ‘Monsoon Dreams,’ organised in connection with the annivesary of People Channel, was a melange of song and dance.
The mixed feelings the monsoon evokes have been beautifully expressed by several poets. By stringing together many of these poems, the two-and-a-half hour live-cum-audio-visual stage programme titled ‘Monsoon Dreams’ attempted to evoke t
he mood of the monsoon.
The programme was held at Tagore Theatre, Thiruvananthpuram, as part of the anniversary celebrations of People channel. Produced by Senthil, the programme’s music was scored by Mohan of Singing Birds.
The stage was set with props of houses and fences and the artistes performed against this backdrop. The show began with the roar of thunder and a flash of lightning followed by the sound of heavy downpour.
Lights helped set the mood as a screen in front of the stage showed visuals of the pouring rain. It was then that Attukal Balasubramaniam enlivened the senses with his serenade on the violin.
He began with an Amritavarshini raga which gradually moved to Kappi and moved back to Amritavarshini. He also played a couple of film tunes such as ‘Puthuvellai nila,’ ‘Pranayamani thooval’ and ‘Rakilithan.’
Poetry in motion
As recordings of poems floated in the air, visuals appeared on the screen and the stage. An overcast sky set the tone for Vayalar’s lines, ‘Kailoru indra dhanussumai.’ If the late P. Bhaskaran likened the monsoon rain to a maiden in his poem ‘Mazhavil pennkodi,’ Vylloppilli highlighted the various moods of the rain, as ‘Mazhakaruppu’ likened it to the blossoming of love.
Vijayalaksmi’s ‘Mazha’ describes the rain as the fulfilment of love while Sugathakumari’s ‘Thulavarsha pachayil’ is an ode to the rain. Balamani Amma’s poem had visuals of children playing in the rain as it evoked nostalgia.
Heightening the monsoon feel were songs sung by singers Gayathri, Sarath, Nishad, Sumi and Vidhu Prathap. The programme was interspersed with a number of dances. Kottayam Nazir and party’s comedy show Mother T.V. and a skit, ‘Unnivanna naal,’ was a dig at award-winning films.
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