Travelling through the evening traffic to the YGP auditorium on the day of Vishu, one could hear the loudspeakers hiss and screech, preparing for a rare show. For a houseful of expatriate Malayali audience, it was an experience to slip away from the holds of reality into a world of nostalgia.
‘Bharatha Ratham’, a Malayalam play, reminded one of a Kerala, a few decades old, where drama was a must at festivals and celebrations, before the time when comedy shows, cinematic dance and music nights dominated the entertainment scene.
The play, written by freedom fighter, patriot and orator, K.P Kunhirama Podhuval in 1944, draws parallels between Mahabharata and the Indian Freedom Struggle. On its maiden production at the Kozhikod Town Hall, Kerala, it was banned by the British government and the artists were arrested on the stage, accused of carrying the message of Indian National Congress. In the post-Colonial era, it was again staged as a musical drama.
Years have passed that the young boy, who donned the role of Abhimanyu then is now playing the old Narada in the revived version directed by V.P. Ramachandran under Kaliyuga Theatres and K.P Samskarika Vedi, Payyannur.
The idea of the play in which parallels are drawn between the Lord Krishna-Duryodhana dialogue and the Round Table Conference by Mahatma Gandhi and the British government, was a work of genius. Comparing Lord Krishna to Mahatma Gandhi, Duryodhana to the British government, Arjuna to Jawaharlal Nehru, Karna to Jinnah and Kunti to Bharata Matha was indeed a sheer brilliance of imagination, specially at the time it was conceived.
However, the script lacked continuity at some instances. There were exceptional performances from some actors, who played Duryodhana, Yudhishtra and Karna. Though, it was awkward to see the same actor who handled the role of Kunti, also don Gandhari’s role, with a mere change of sari and sans difference in acting.
Dialogue was seldom audible due to the high decibel levels of the background score, often losing the balance and creating ambiguity, reminding one of the necessity of sound check for any event. Apart from a few senior actors, most of the characters were played by youngsters.
“I am on a mission to teach youngsters and give them opportunities to get on stage,” says Ramachandran. Having acted in nearly 300 plays, many of which he himself directed, VPR (as he is called) now concentrates on direction. “Still, I feel that certain characters can be done only by me and I take over.” Ravana in ‘Lankalakshmi’, Dasaradha in ‘Saketham’, Officer in ‘Anubandham’… the list go on.
With his theatre experience, Ramachandran has set his foot in other fields such as television and films. He has at present more than 10 teleserials to his credit.
“Acting in theatre and television is very different. On TV, the close range shots require subtle acting, whereas in theatre, a certain level of exaggeration is demanded, so that the expressions are visible even to the farthest audience. I am very conscious about it,” he says.
“I have never learned acting and don’t follow any particular school,” says Ramachandran who considers himself as a keen observer and an ardent aficionado, looking for the highlights each performance and performers across stages. Acting is in his blood, as his father was the veteran dance dramatist, A. Ramapoduval. A retired IAF officer, Ramachandran has earned several accolades and has performed both in India and abroad. He has attempted directing plays across genres – ‘Buntola,’ a military story revolving round an elephant, ‘Anubandham,’ which secured him the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award, and a variety of mythologicals.
Ramachandran considers himself as an amateur. “Unlike professional groups, who conduct rehearsal camps for a particular play, amateur groups find it hard to synchronise rehearsal time of artists and this remains our biggest challenge.” Owing to the lack of sponsors, amateur groups lack permanent stage settings and technicians, and new technologies such as LED lights and set projectors remain unaffordable. “Professionals make money and we waste money in the name of theatre!” exclaims Ramachandran with a laugh.
At a time when contemporary theatre is flourishing, Ramachandran feels the freedom of expression is exploited by many. “The so-called contemporary groups are taking over. One should be very conscious about the audience and their needs”, says Ramachandran.
Efforts by the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi, through its weekly theatre programmes, and festivals are rejuvenating this art, which faced a decline in the recent past. Ramachandran concludes on an optimistic note: “Theatre is the art form which can influence society the most, and its true fans will never allow this art to languish.”
