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From stage to screen
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What do Mahesh Dattani, Pamela Rooks and Shobana have to say about their venture, Dance Like A Man? Read on...
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Photo: S. R. Raghunathan
Shobana and Mithran Devenesan strike a pose in Dance like A Man
"HOW DOES your play work on the screen?" This routine question was inevitably the first to be addressed to playwright Mahesh Dattani, after the screening of the film version of his Dance Like a Man on Friday at Studio 5.
As part of its efforts to promote sidestream cinema, Chennai's Sathyam cinemas had Dattani, film maker Pamela Rooks, actors Shobana and Arif Zakaria, and theatre person Mithran Devanesan responding to viewer queries.
Chennai's approval was a matter of importance — and some apprehension — for the film crew. After all, Bharatanatya, the dance nurtured by this city, plays a pivotal role in the film. It is the focus of passion and controversy in relationships between three generations. Repulsed by his son's obsession for Bharatanatya, the father says that while a woman in a man's world is admired, a man in a woman's world can only be pathetic. His machinations enlist the daughter-in-law's support to abort the son's performance dreams.
Jealousy and disillusionment darken the frames — the wife Ratna becomes famous, husband Jairaj takes to drink and a plaintive flute, the son dies, and the daughter becomes the means of vicarious fulfilment of parents' dreams. Guilt, envy, repression, and anger, battle with love, loyalty, and truth.
The play builds its nuances by what it does not say and show. The film could not adopt the same device. But "I think Pamela has pulled it off," said Dattani. He gave credit to Rooks for the screenplay he had merely reviewed and offered suggestions.
"But they were vital. As a film maker himself, Mahesh knew that I must have the freedom to explore the visual possibilities of the medium," said Rooks.
Shobana gave "incredible inputs" in choreography and guided the camera in the dance sequences. The music (Ganesh and Kumaresh) heightened the visual impact and mood. The audience of the day found things mostly right, and applauded Shobana's performance as Ratna Devi. But was Anoushka Shankar (daughter Lata) pallid? Especially in contrast with Shobana's spirited performance? Rooks responded: "She portrays a debutante, how can she equal her mother's brilliance? I consciously chose Anoushka for the role as she had to return to the dance she had given up at age eight for the sitar." A persistent question once again juxtaposed the play and film, referring to traces of Miller's concept of the memory play in Dattani's text. "Does the film serve the purpose as did the play?" With a quizzical look and smile Dattani countered: "Are apples better than oranges? Since they use different media, a film cannot be compared to a play. All of us live our lives through memory and cinema can exploit both memory as well as theatre."
Mithran Devanesan said: "I was sceptical at first. How can this brilliant piece of theatre be converted into a film? But the transition is smooth. The innocence of the budding dancer Lata has added to its charm. The film would have failed without the dance."
Some characters in the film condemn dance as immoral, while others display ambivalent attitudes towards the art form. Does this portray the dance world in a negative light? Is it a true reflection of the situation today? Heated exchanges ended with the recognition that the play dealt better in switching between the past and the present, while the greater continuity in the film led to some confusion.
Rooks had changed the time frame — she had pushed the parents forward in years and placed the daughter in contemporary times. Did this make attitudes to the art form and to male dancers in particular, dated? The question could not be resolved.
There was strenuous objection to Ratna's indulging in publicity manoeuvres to promote her daughter. "Ratna is only a character. She does not represent all dancers," smiled Shobana. The last word came from Dattani about the screen avatar of the play he wrote 18 years ago. "I feel like someone whose baby was taken away by the gypsies. Years later, the child returns. I see that it's doing very well!"
GOWRI RAMNARAYAN
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