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Mirroring the Mind: (left to right) Mukesh, Aparna and Mohanlal in ‘Chayamukhi,’ which is juxtaposed between the present and the time of the Mahabharata.

“I consider this the biggest achievement of my career; nothing has given me more pleasure than getting this play ready,” says Mukesh.

The enthusiasm was palpable when he narrated the plot of the play a year-and-a-half ago during a chat in Kozhikode. But, at that time, he had no idea that he would also become the producer of ‘Chayamukhi.’ He had almost dropped the project owing to differences of opinion with a Kollam-based drama troupe that owned the play.

“It was with a heavy heart that I abandoned ‘Chayamukhi.’ Then I was on the look-out for a new play. I worked with some of the leading playwrights in Malayalam, and had almost zeroed in on one play, but, again, I had to drop that project too,” says Mukesh, who is also playing an important character in the play.

Mohanlal, the actor with whom he has enjoyed a special chemistry on the silver screen over the last couple of decades, is the biggest attraction of the play.

“I am delighted that we are finally going to stage ‘Chayamukhi.’ Mukesh and I have worked hard for this play,” says Mohanlal, who has been involved with theatre before. His ‘Karnabharam’ and ‘Kathayattom’ were widely watched and appreciated.

“I loved the thrill of being on the stage, in front of a live audience. And when Mukesh, mooted the idea of staging a play, I readily agreed. When I heard the theme of ‘Chayamukhi,’ I liked it immediately,” says the star.

Prasanth Narayanan, a multi-faceted theatre personality, conceptualised ‘Chayamukhi’ after listening to an old woman’s folk tale while he was on a tour of Gujarat a few years ago. ‘Chayamukhi’ is a mirror that enables the viewer to see the image of the person he or she loves the most.

The play is juxtaposed between the present and the time of the Mahabharata. Bheema (Mohanlal) and Keechaka (Mukesh) are two of the several characters who are surprised by the images they see on Chayamukhi. “Writing and directing this play was a fulfilling experience for me. But directing Mohanal and Mukesh was something I could not have imagined in my wildest dreams,” gushes Prasanth, who has also written, composed and choreographed the songs of the play.

“The central theme of the play is the curse of love; it is easy to love but very difficult to be loved. I had written the play at a time when I had lost the love of my life,” says Prasanth.

Mukesh was particular that his first theatre production should entertain the audience. “It was not for any personal gain that I wanted to produce this play; my aim is to bring audiences back to the theatre, which, sadly, is dying in Kerala. There used to be about 175 drama troupes in Kollam; now there are around 20. Coming from a family that has always been so involved with theatre, I thought I needed to do something that could inject some life into theatre. I had initially planned this venture with Sreenivasan and then with Premkumar, but those plans didn’t materialise. Then, when I found that Mohanlal was interested in theatre, I resumed my dream,” he explains.

Mukesh was sure that he didn’t need too many actors from cinema. “I didn’t want to make my play just another stage show featuring film stars. From cinema there are only Mohanlal and me,” he points out.

Aparna plays the lead female character of Panchali. “This is my first ever experience in theatre and the rehearsals and workshops have been a learning experience. And, of course, it is wonderful sharing the stage with artistes like Mohanlal and Mukesh,” says the Malappuram-based girl.

Mukesh says everyone has worked hard to ensure that ‘Chayamukhi’ would be a new experience for Malayalam theatre. “On a ‘hartal’ day, Mohanlal came to the rehearsal camp at 5 a.m. and slogged it till 8 p.m. It is that kind of commitment and hard work from every one concerned with ‘Chayamukhi’ that makes me confident about the success of the play,” says Mukesh.

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