Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | Friday Review | Cinema Plus | Young World | Property Plus | Quest | Folio |

K.S. Rajendran

Now comes yet another presentation “Mrichhakatikam”, this time by the second year students of National School of Drama. Directed by K.S. Rajendran, it sets new standards of methodology for training of actors.

Incidentally, ”Mrichhakatikam” is the story of a famous courtesan of Ujjaini, Vasantasena, who falls in love with Charudutta, a Brahmin merchant, now impoverished owing to his generosity. Samsthanaka, the king’s son-in-law has an eye on her. Sharvilaka, a Brahmin, is in love with Madnika, Vasantasena’s maid. To buy her freedom he steals the ornaments left by Vasantasena and offers them to Vasantasena to buy Madnika’s freedom…As we move along, there are many twists and turns until Charudutta and Vasantsena get married.

Talking of his actor-training methodology, Rajendran says, “The students were trained in classical dance movements for three months prior to their presentation. The emphasis was on how Natyashastra looks at the body and how it projects expression as also the use of mudras, posture and gait. However such structured movements do not limit the actors from bringing in improvised movements to suit the situations in the play. We encourage actors to trust their instincts rather than mechanically reproducing structured movements in the classroom. The students are also encouraged to bring in their Lok Dharmi movements of their region. Most of the play was evolved through improvisations by students and I kept my directorial intervention to the minimum as I always do and encouraged the actors to contribute so that a sense of belonging develops in them towards their work. The emphasis was on the process rather than the end product. My work in the last three years with Sanskrit productions at NSD enabled me to evolve a training methodology in collaboration with dancers, movement teachers, choreographers and music directors.”

Keeping in view the political turmoil embodied in the “Mrichhakatikam” plot, Rajendran has introduced a suggestive device of music and movement in the overall structure of the performance to get across to the audience the political a message of the play.

The cast played well considering that it was their first presentation. Most of them seemed to have understood the director’s production design.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail