What is to be done if a captive elephant, an iconoclast, virtually and literally, begins to topple down idols of Gods that he is supposed to carry around with gravity and dignity during temple processions? What is to be done if the same beast of burden refuses to heed the order to haul big logs of wood from one place to another? In short, what is to be done if this jumbo steps out of our definition of an elephant, refuses to be categorised, and lives according to its whims and fancies?
This was the perplexing question that ‘Thevarude Aana', a satire by Abhinaya Theatre Research Centre, raised, when it was staged in the capital city recently.
The play, which is one hour and fifteen minutes long, directed by debut director Kannappanunni, had the audience in splits most of the time. But beyond the mirth, there was an underlying bitter social criticism that the viewer could never miss.
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The mahout is more or less resigned to his fate, leaving the elephant, which was banned from temple processions, to its peril. But there are indeed many others who are concerned. Each man who visits and offers to help the ailing animal hauls with him a slice of his own rotten world. They all wanted to get to the root of the elephant’s decision to rebel and follow his heart. For one moment, as they all grope around the elephant, the play reminds us of the story of four blind men exploring an elephant. They get nowhere and a heated debate ensues. Each one sees the elephant through his tiny lens and dismisses the others' views. The confusion ends when the elephant swallows the doctor and the astrologer. Now they learn why the elephant protests.
The play has woven modern stage techniques such as video projections seamlessly into the text. Characters walk in and out of the painting of the temple premises, where the elephant, an animated image, is chained. Music, lights and stage props, which were minimal, support the rendition.
The performances of Sreenivasan as the mahout, Baiju (politician), Aravind (village officer), Arun Surendran (veterinary doctor), Sudhi (astrologer), and Anoop Mohandas (storyteller) were commendable. Kannappanunni says that he has tried to create a fresh platform with the intention of upsetting “the stereotyped vision” of the viewer. “Viewers find it immensely funny when they see the characters, who are trying to understand the cause of the crisis, skim the surface of the problem. The characters try to dig deep, neglecting the obvious.”
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