Day Two of the second week of The Hindu Theatre Fest 2016 was in stark contrast to Day One. While the Museum Theatre echoed with song and dance when Aayirathiyoru Iravugal was staged, the air was thick with emotion when Guduguduppukkari’s Mundhirikkotte unfolded. For, the story and performances were such.
A fan of actor Dhanush and cricket. One who loves muttai curry , cake, and biryani. A boy who is trying to fit in, in school. But most importantly, one who loves his mother and his village of Parangipettai very much. Karuppannasamy alias KP, around who the story revolves, is like any 12-year-old: he’s full of questions and is forming opinions about everything around him.
Watching the play, written by Sunandha Raghunathan and directed by Anitha Santhanam, was like watching events from real life unfold before us. The Government school that KP goes to is dominated by kids who are observing the Ramzan fast and the panchayat president arranges for the noon meal to arrive in the evening, in time for Iftar. But what about KP?
His mother Pavunu, who works at the salt-pans, is trying hard to make ends meet as it is — how will she provide for KP? To top this, the school headmaster, a converted Christian, is coaxing her into giving away her son to the convent, where he will be “fed and educated well”. A difficult turn of events leads her to agree to this. But will KP do the same?
Issues of religion and caste were deftly woven into the story; the problems dealt with were so real that they made us squirm in our seats. The actors, their costumes, and the simple props, only added to the effect. To us, they were real people; and we were overhearing actual conversations. Kalieaswari Srinivasan was excellent as KP’s mother.
So was Vasanth Selvam as the headmaster with a constant sly smile on his lips. “Why don’t you stay longer?” he asks Pavunu one night when she comes to talk to him about her son, and we shudder. The man is responsible for all their troubles — he even uses his students to buy alcohol for him from a shop at a crossing in the village.
Heavy (there were a few attempts at making the audience laugh, some of which worked) and intense (mention must be made of the dialogues), Mundhirikkotte left us feeling the same. It took a few moments to shed it all off once the lights came back on.
The Hindu Theatre Fest 2016
The Title Sponsor of the event is YES BANK. The Associate Sponsors are Kauvery Hospital, Hindustan International School and Telangana Tourism. The Hospitality Partner is Taj Coromandel. The Mall Partner is Phoenix Market City (Chennai). The Mobility Partner is Ola. The gift partner is Terra Earthfood. The Radio Partner is Radio City 91.1. The Merchandise Partner is Focus Art Gallery and the Event Manager is evam.
