A minimalist but appropriate setting, a bunch of young enthusiasts, a dash of music and dance all make Mara of Theatrekaran a different experience. For story, the troupe falls back on that epic of eternal interest — the Ramayana. A slice to be precise, dealing with the exploits of Hanuman in Sri Lanka. “We have tried to look at the hidden layers,” says the voiceover ahead of the play. And it does.
Director Sriram Jeevan’s association with the Chettinad Vidyashram’s theatre group for several years comes across in the treatment. “Back there, we were doing it all the time — looking at traditional themes in unconventional ways,” he says. So Mandodari’s (an elegant and dignified portrayal by Maalavika Sundar) love for Ravana, who in turn is besotted with Sita, is explicit. The love is so deep that she is ready to speak to Sita on his behalf.
Mandodhari eemrging from the audience
An angry Ravana, a beseeching Ravana or an arrogant Ravana are familiar. A weeping Ravana? The emperor sheds tears because Sita will not even look at him. And this disturbs the queen, who has just sung a melody calling him her lover and king.
Love brings her to the battlefield, where Ravana is in the throes of death. “You’ll be my wife again and again,” he professes and curiously calls himself the Sun that does not set. Whereas it is Rama, who is known to belong to Suryavansh. Tall and well-built Sabarivas V.K. captures those unseen shades of the demon king.
Sita (Sandhya Gopalan) is a brave heart. Ready for the war Rama would wage to win her back. “No, thank you,” she says to Hanuman, who offers to carry her on his shoulder. It is a haughty captive, whom Ravana encounters, a contrast to the woman showering maternal affection on Rama’s emissary.
Scene from Mara
Hanuman, the live wire (Adithya Ramshankar), storms on to the stage from the audience, jumps and leaps characterising his body language. Narrated by an old man to a nimble fingered scamp (Rathina Sabapathy cuts a cute cameo), the drama has an unexpected closure. Music (Anish Mohan) plays a significant role in creating the mood and dance sequence (choreographed by Vaishnavi) to show it is Lanka was a nice touch. Lighting (design by Sankara Narayanan) sets off the tasteful sets (Manjunath).
“We have tried to simplify the epic for the common man,” says Sriram. The rustic style and Tamil, which falls between chaste and conversational, do make it earthy. But the liberties that the script has taken will go over the head of the target group.
While Ravana, Mandodari and Sita impress with their diction, some of the others seem to need more practice. “For most of them, Tamil is not the mother tongue. We will improve,” says Sriram, who names Thota Tharani, Kumaravel and Jayakumar as the men, who shaped Theatrekaaran. In business for a year, the group also stages street plays.
