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A tribute to a genius

Under the auspices of Chaitanya Art Theatres, a festival of dramas, named after Bhamidipati Kameswara Rao, harbinger of comedy playwriting, was held last week at Ravindra Bharati. This festival was a more of a tribute to the late educationist and gen ius. Bhamidipati did his M.A in mathematics and retired as head master of Veeresalingam High School, Rajuhmundry. He was known for writing big and small plays with pure humour and was inspired by French writer Moliere, whose plays he adapted into Telugu. The net result was that Bhamidipati became a trend setter in the field of humour play writing. Eminent director the late Jandhyala adapted one of his plays into a film too. His son Bhamidipati Radhakrishna also followed in his father’s foot steps and became a well-known for playwright. He extended his skills into the film field as film script writer too.

At a brief function held on the occasion, noted playwright of the present generation C. S. Rao, film actor and chairman of Cultural Council Dharmavarapu Subrahmanyam and Director, Department of Culture, Rallabandi Kavita Prasad spoke in praise of Kameswara Rao and stressed on the need to learn from him how to write in the same colloquial of the story that they narrate. On this occasion Bhamidiapati Kameswara Rao’s first play Bagu Bagu was put on boards, as a tribute to the em inent humour writer. Kalavani of twin Godavari Districts based at Rajuhmundry staged this play directed by M. Prasada Murthy. M.V. Rajarshi, Ramanamurthy, Ramesh Babu, Babu Rao and Sujatha played important roles. Prasada Murthy appeared in the role of Bhagayya. But the production could not elicit good response from the present day audience, as it was based on the slang of that area, around which it is built. Manasthatwalu of Radhakrishna, the second production in the fest, was hilario us. This was staged by Hyderabad Media presentations, under the direction of Sanagala Kabirdas. The play was woven around the photograph of a beautiful girl found in a house. Who brought this and who is this? Guess work begins, converting the household into doubting Thomases.An elderly couple and their son and daughter finally come to know that the photograph of this unknown girl was brought by an innocent young man, from a studio. But the play does not end there, but concludes on a hilarious note. Director Kabirdas also played the important role the father. Chada Sama, Venugopal, Bhargavi, George, Maruti Kumar, Tenali Sakuntala were in other important roles. The success of this production depended more on the team work which all these artistes displayed. The playwright’s skilful repartees added to the hilarity.

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