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They ‘make-up’ for each other

Photo: S. James

Enterprising S. Malathi and M. Purushotham make a perfect match

Helo ninna history”, she prodded her husband in Kannada when I expressed my wish to feature them on Weekend cover.

Theatre director and writer S. Malathi and her husband M. Purushotham, an expert in make-up and set designing, come across as a perfect match. Watching them at a theatre workshop on stage in the city recently, I was convinced of their calibre and poise.

If on the personal side, Malathi’s flamboyance is a perfect foil to Purushotham’s reticence, professionally too they complement each other to the hilt in every activity they do. She writes and directs plays. He does all the backstage work right from lighting to set designing for her.

Not very conversant in Tamil or English, Purushotham did not feel handicapped by the language while he was in the city communicating with local participants. His wife was the perfect translator and there was never a dull moment.

When she was getting ready for the meet, Purushotham being a make-up expert offered help. And pat came the reply: “Confine your experiments to your students.”

Hailing from village Talavata, in the interiors of Shimoga district, he is familiar only with his mother tongue. So, wherever he goes as resource person, Malathi accompanies him.

“I live in a place near the famous Jog falls, where a lot of film shooting takes place. I love the place as I am intense nature lover. I enjoy gardening too. My association runs deep as I was born in a family of agriculturists. I feel rejuvenated when I am in my garden,” he reveals himself byte by byte.

“There were also times when he went overboard to fill the hilly terrain with green, planting saplings wherever he spotted empty space,” chips in Malathi.

The credit for generating interest in theatre in his village goes to Purushotham, who also has a Diploma in painting. It was his love for theatre that made him launch “Geleyara Balaga” (group of friends) and start directing plays.

His inspiring shows caught the attention of his villagers. Slowly he started involving the villagers and doing plays exclusively for children.

Once he established himself in Talavata, he focused on enriching his knowledge in theatre and joined ‘Ninasam’, a cultural centre belonging to the legendary Kuntagodu Vibhuti Subbanna.

Purushotham taught all aspects of drama with specialisations in make up, clay modelling and mask making. Besides, he was also part of the touring repertory ‘Janaspantham’.

“During the 70s, I travelled widely all over Karnataka to create interest in theatre among rural people and aimed at developing rural theatre development. I toured extensively as one of the directors and the coordinator of the programme,” he says.

Impressed by his work, popular director Girish Kasaravally involved him in his productions.

Ever since, Purushotham helped many filmmakers, who periodically visited his village in pursuit of an ideal location. “Filmmakers always like theatre people for their experience in handling pressure situations,” he says.

Says Malathi of him: “He is a much sought after person for his expertise in make up and set designing. But he remains untouched by commercialization. Despite his commitments, work schedule and profile now, he feels comfortable staying in his village.”

A Post-Graduate in Kannada literature from Mysore University and armed with a course in direction from the National School of Drama, Delhi, Malathi too never fears to experiment. She started her own “Prajna Theatre Group” in an attempt to produce quality plays.

For her play, “Dalitha Loka”, she visited a dalit colony to get to know about their lifestyle and took in residents to act in the play.

“I met Purushotham only as a professional. He did make up, lighting, set and costume designing for my plays. I enjoyed working with him as he is very accommodative and gels well with the director,” she reveals.

“Through my contacts I get a lot of projects. While I do the writing, he does the backstage work. Theatre is a very active form of expression in Karnataka. Most of the universities and colleges have separate Department of Theatre Art. We visit the faculties in most institutions.”

Malathi has also written two textbooks for correspondence course in theatre arts for Kannada University, Hampi and has also translated a Hindi book “Mere Sayyan Jo” into Kannada. She feels proud to be a Konkani and calls her husband ‘Bomman ka bacha’.

Having accomplished themselves in their respective fields, both of them have also tried their hands in acting in feature films and TV serials, which includes the popular “Malgudi Days.”

FACTFILE

Received Karnataka Nataka Akademi award for direction in 2004.

Acted in 15 Kannada feature films including Dweepa, Savyasachi, Mavanige, Thakka Aliya, Griha Bhanga, Ragalahari.

20 Kannada TV serials including Bharatheepura, Malgudi Days (Hindi), Abdulla Gopala (telefilm), Shruthi, Inchara.

Published 16 books, four collections of poetry, four full length plays, 10 childrens plays.

Got best poet award from Bombay Karnataka Sangha for her first collection of poetry Kshnikavallada Kshnagalu in 1998.

Written, published and directed Bheema Kathanaka and Dalitha Loka.

Written and published Jeevanavemba Nataka Ranga.

Has reviewed more than 200 books.

Received Karnataka Nataka Akademi award for backstage work in 1999.

Acted in feature films including Dweepa, Haseena, Matha, Mukhaputa and Haruva Hakkianeri.

Acted in different TV serials including Sooraj Ka Ghoda (Hindi telefilm), Bharatheepura, Karnataka Darshana Kichchu, Ramana Hole.

Has directed more than 30 childrens plays.

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