Family tensions and confused ID

Soppana Kuzhandai’ by N.Ratnam, Koothapiran's son. Photo: M. Moorthy

Koothapiran Navabharat Theatres’ ‘ Soppana Kuzhandai ’ (written and directed by Koothapiran’s son Rathnam) was about a father who seeks to live vicariously through his son. Srinivasan (N. Rathnam) is treated with disrespect in his office because he doesn’t have good academic credentials. So he is determined that his son Karthik (Vignesh) should pass the Chartered Accountancy examination. But Karthik is equally determined that he will not become a chartered accountant but a film maker. And Karthik does have the creative talent to make an attempt.

T.P. Sriram as Chithappa Santhanam made an endearing grandfather. The child artists were not self conscious. The story is one that plays out in many families, where there is no meeting ground between parental ambitions for a child, and the child’s own aspirations.

But the play could do with some editing. The office scenes could have been shorter. In the interview that Karthik attends, all those details about credit and debit were unnecessary. The gratuitous mistreatment of Srinivasan by his boss seemed a bit overboard. If the duration is reduced, ‘Soppana Kuzhandai’ will be more enjoyable.

Prayatna’s ‘ID’ (story and direction Vivekshankar), was riddled with holes. Police officer Parameswara Iyer ropes in a freelance hacker, to unravel hawala transactions and foil terrorist plans; the wrong man gets killed; the hacker seeks refuge in a village, to escape the bad men - the story stretches one’s credulity to the limits. When you are talking about hawala and terrorism, wouldn’t the engagement be at the highest level, with Ministers and perhaps even the Prime Minister being kept informed? How can a lone hacker, operating from his house deal will all this? Kalivaradan, who works in the Secretariat doesn’t know what a laptop is, and calls it a harmonium! Too much!

Narasimhan (T.D. Sundarrajan), neighbour of hacker Divakar, makes his entry every now and then, turns towards the audience and launches into a torrent of abuse. What is his role and who is he abusing? And there is Janaki, whose complete lack of sorrow, so soon after her brother’s death, is puzzling. The Panchayat Chief’s family doubts Parameswara Iyer’s credentials. So how is it that they point to their backyard, when Iyer wants to do his ablutions? And how can anyone suddenly materialise and take such liberties?

Thank God, the police officer is only an imaginary character. If he were real, we would have to be concerned about the future of our country. The play was billed as one about the dangers of the internet, with the title suggesting identity theft. But where was all the tension and pace that such a play should have? Hampered by a bad script and half-hearted performances, ‘ID’ was a complete let down.