Timely revisions
|
Samashti’s performance of Miss Sadarame was theatrical in every sense of the word
|
ENGAGING An entertaining story with ups and downs, full of song and dance
What was the serpentine queue in front of Rangashankara indicative of? That history had come a full circle? But when does the past ever announce its coming? The play “Sadarame” – original by Bellave Narahari Shastri – in all its multiple reinventions has always been a hit. Ask any theatre person and he will surely speak of Gubbi Veeranna’s iconic playing of the thief’s role. If you have not been lucky to see him don the role, you are sure to have at least read enough about it. Thanks to radio, the song “Olle samaya olle samaya” still lingers on. The play, says history, was so famous that every company going through a rough patch would invariably stage “Sadarame” to improve their collection. It was also made into a film starring Gubbi Veeranna and Malavalli Sundaramma, and this only brightened its chances at the theatre. The landmark film “Ranganayaki” by Puttanna Kanagal on the travails of a theatre artiste also had scenes from “Sadarame” in it. Going right back to the queue, who would imagine that a play with no famous star cast and rendered by a fairly low profile theatre group, Samashti, would have people throng the theatre? Call it Sadarame magic, reinvoked.
“Miss Sadarame”, staged by Samashti was K.V. Subbanna’s version. An entertaining story with ups and downs, full of song and dance, makes for a cheerful production. The addition of a “Miss” to what was just “Sadarame” speaks for the modern readings that the play has acquired. Directed by Manjunath L. Badigera, the play has a good pace and takes you through easily, even though it’s a story that you have seen and heard many times. The strength of the play is its fantastic music by Gajanan Hegde, which had the obvious earthy influence of B.V. Karanth. The chorus had fine co-ordination and it felt like one could just go on listening to them. “Beda beda naari yenage” was lovely. Though the scene with “Yaree hamsagaamini” was very filmy, set to raga Jog, the song had great depth. Exchanges in the Yakshagana mode by the chorus – before the play departs from how Subbanna had chosen to end it – gave the play a good leap; from the real to mythological to metaphysical.
The play makes several observations about corrupt State, opportunistic politics, disappointments of the idealist… The forceful depiction of the disillusionments in human relationship gets heightened with the Akkamahadevi vachana, “Chilipiliyendoduva giligalira, neevu kaanire”. Channamallikarjuna, a metaphor for the ideal companion, is he only someone who exists in the mind or is it possible to find a physical embodiment of him? The last scene in which Sadarame leaves to look for her Channamallikarjuna is moving. At this point, the play transcends even gender.
Acting could have certainly looked up. The thief (Anand P.) was remarkable. He not only had a great body language, but also had a brilliant discourse on robbery. Sets were simple and lighting was good.
A worthy revisit indeed.
DEEPA GANESH
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Friday Review
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
