He’s half-a-century into Tamil theatre, but Chetta Ravi’s enthusiasm hasn’t diminished. The 56-year-old has performed onstage and has also worked behind-the-scenes. But what he is most well-known for is his expertise at stage lighting.
“I entered Tamil theatre when I was four. I began working with N.S Krishnan’s troupe in Nagercoil,” he recalls. His induction into the veteran actor’s theatre group was partly due to his family background — while his mother was an actress, his father was Krishnan’s bodyguard.
Though a Muslim, he was given the name ‘Ravi’ by none other than M. G. Ramachandran,” he says excitedly.
“When I was eight, I joined the Boys Company, and it was there that my boss told me that I had to learn something other than acting and make-up. So I did everything — carpentry, painting and even electrical work,” he says. After his boss’ death, Ravi moved to Chennai and joined Radha Ravi’s troupe to gain experience in all aspects of theatre. Today, Chetta Ravi, as he is popularly known, has numerous awards to his credit, including those conferred by prestigious institutions such as the Krishna Gana Sabha and Mylapore Academy.
But it's theatre lighting that is his forte. Having travelled extensively with veteran artiste Y. Gee Mahendra’s troupe for over 30 years, he follows a particular routine — attend two or three rehearsals, get a feel of the story and the dialogues and sit with the director for further discussion. “The play I loved working on the most was Vadhavooran , put up by Shraddha,” he says.
He, however, is disappointed with the lack of innovation in Tamil theatre. “I’ve been to many places in India and abroad. and have seen people experimenting in various genres — why can’t we do this in Tamil theatre? For instance, more attention needs to be paid to stage lighting which considerably enhances a play’s appeal.”
Ravi’s skilful use of halogen and spotlights has made him popular in the city’s theatre circuit. “I’m hugely inspired by historical films and plays; there is so much scope for lighting in them,” says this fan of Ben-Hur and The Ten Commandments. “I’ve worked a great deal in this particular genre, and my favourite is the play Krishna Leela , especially Krishna’s Kalinga nritya scene.”
Chetta Ravi has one dream, and that is to train someone in this area of theatre. But he’s yet to find that person. “Youngsters, these days, use theatre as a stepping stone to film and television,” he feels.
