Not many writers have created as many enduring characters as MT Vasudevan Nair, be it in fiction or in films. Some of those characters came alive on stage at the Tagore Centenary Hall in Kozhikode. Directed by Prasanth Narayanan, the play Mahasagaram was a tribute to MT.
Writer’s sketch
The play begins promisingly enough with an artist completing a fine drawing of MT in no time. A young boy and an older girl are also present on stage. In the boy’s hands are books written by MT.
We are also introduced to a young man in a dhothi and shirt. Near him is a large umbrella. It is a young MT. The character often appears on stage to talk about his writing and to reply to questions posed by a journalist from the visual media.
A scene from Mahasagaram
As the play progresses, several celebrated scenes from MT’s novels and films appear were recreated.
In one of the better executed segments, we witness the mental agony of Velayudhan of Iruttinte Athmavu , who is mercilessly beaten by Achuthan Nair, watched by a helpless Ammukutty.
The sequences involving Bheema, his brothers and Draupadi too were imaginatively presented by Prasanth. In this segment, he used darkness cleverly to recreate that famous scene of Draupadi being gifted a white ginger lily (Kalyanasaugandhikam) by Bheema. Episodes from Kutyedathi and Daya too were presented well. A few songs from MT’s films were also featured.
Rich variety
The play reminds you about the richness of MT’s world. Fittingly, the littérateur himself made an appearance at the end of the play, which was staged as part of a week-long MT festival organised by a Malayalam newspaper.
