While we anticipate fresher facets of Anuradha Menon’s extensive repertoire, the legacy of Lola Kutty takes an aside. Debuting her theatre script at the Pan-Indian New Festival by The Park, she’s enjoyed the diverse reactions of Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata, explaining, “The response was been wonderful, especially since I went in with so much trepidation about how my writing for theatre debut would go! Everyone has said that they identify with some aspect of the character 's life which made the experience all too real for them.”
Having moved to Mumbai in 2003 to pursue theatre, the stage savant can finally show off other talents. Her theatre performance ‘Take 35’ is a reflection of the universal hopes and dreams we have as kids to 'make it big' in showbiz, as well as what we've seen in real life through the likes of Baby Shalini. Anuradha will personify child actor Baby Anamika, the driving force of this piece, “I found it a good starting point for me to talk about her adult life...where her life had taken her, her fraught relationship with her family, her career goals and many failures. There is some stuff in there that's been said to me and some stuff said to those around me that I've drawn on and pointed out.”
There’s a near-perfect formulation to this experience, taking into account what we may have seen as fans of various child actors as well as retaining her signature self-deprecating humour. She adds that hopefully the story will speak to and touch chords within audiences as they witness Anamika’s battles between resilience and resignation.
Thanking director Faezah Jalali for being an integral part of the creation, refinement and execution, Anuradha explains there was a pervasive consciousness of writing ‘Take 35’ as a character, rather than as herself, “Delivering a laugh-line not with the punch of a stand up but ad Anamika; I've tried to weave a story that has humour and whimsy and pathos. It was a process of addition and subtraction.”
Oh, Lola...
And, yes, we love Lola Kutty, Anuradha’s undeniable career piece de resistance. She acknowledges that when she dons the wig and personifies the alter-ego, there’s a clear distinction across audiences, adding that’s probably why she’ll never get an item number. In true character creator manner, she knows resentment towards a creation isn’t right and hasn’t done anything lucidly anti-Lola, “I go about my business doing my stand up and theatre. Some people are thrilled I look nothing like Lola. Some others are gutted because they feel I've broken some long held illusion of theirs! My mother would always say ‘Anu sucks but Lola rocks’. Where do I go from there?!”
Anuradha Menon will take to the stage at The Park Hyderabad, Somajiguda, on September 17, 7pm . Call 7893949431 for further information.
