An amalgam of stories
Abstract and different, I loved the silences though they did test the audience patience, at times. The script came across as an amalgamation of personal stories with rather different music. The languages woven in and out of the play added to the experience and were an important touch. The play was held together by excellent acting and quirky dialogue.
Harish Ramaswamy
Adyar
Intricate sketches
A diverse theme, subtle humour and some magnificent acting made ‘Taramandal' a fine play. The dazed looks on the faces of the motley Chennai crowd during the first few minutes of uninterrupted Bengali turned to complete amazement and awe as six artistes from our Capital showcased some of the finest acting seen this year. The play consisted of many intricately-moulded sketches. The hilarious antics of the nagging old man, the cacophonous rendition of 'Eleanor Rigby', the minimal use of props and the wonderful lighting stood out. But the man who simply stole the show was the theatre enthusiast born to doctors, whose monologue was just a league apart from the rest. These 110 minutes will be etched in the minds of every theatre lover.
Murali Krishna Satagopan
Besant Nagar
Tapestry of stories
Extending Satyajit Ray's short story ‘Patol Babu, Film Star', ‘Taramandal' weaves a tapestry of endearing stories celebrating the humble heroism of those who reach for the stars and often fall flat on their faces. The playwright and director Neel Chaudhuri and his actors take risks as they engage with the audience simply and directly. The play abounds in moments that are at once touching and funny, such as Patol listening to Mozart in the dark to prepare for his one moment in the spotlight as a pedestrian in a feature film. Skillful and sincere performances breathe life into the various characters groping their way to their dreams. The soundscape was a delightful blend of music that wonderfully enhanced the moods of the scenes, ambience noises, and silence, in moments where the characters are painfully confronted with their limitations and failures, although sometimes the pauses felt a tad too long.
Usha K.R.
Thiruvanmiyur
Entertaining montage
‘Taramandal' is a delightful montage of bittersweet stories. The neurotic enthusiasm of Patol, who finally gets a break in a movie, the man who writes monologues for his mirror, the over-the-hill actor juggling family and career, all showcase the vulnerability and insecurity that those “in the crowd” face when under the glare of the spotlight. The earnest and unassuming acting, Neel Chaudhuri's brilliant trilingual script and the intelligent use of the minimal props made the atmosphere informal and was very entertaining. In the end, ‘Taramandal' did what any good play should do — make you smile but also bring a tear from time to time.
Jayant Mahadevan
Besant Nagar
A study of characters
On a rainy Sunday in August, audiences packed in to the hall to watch ‘Taramandal', a reimagining of Ray's story. Minimalist, multi-functional sets and a few strong performances string the back stories of all the characters involved in Patol Babu's single-word final performance. Sometimes, though the silences/pauses were longer than required, the focussed performances of Patol Babu and Naresh made up for it. Neel Chaudhuri is the Pedro Almodavar of Indian theatre, juggling multiple narratives with ease. The play tells us that even the most unlikely people are actors: the background artiste, the man who coordinates background artistes, the actor who has one word in a film, the Beatles fan who can't sing, and the neighbourhood girl who spins skits out of hearsay. ‘Taramandal' shines the spotlight on actors spurned by the conventional spotlight.
Moushumi Ghosh
Adyar
An ordinary life
Any play that's based on master filmmaker Satyajit Ray's story is in danger of becoming victim of inflated audience expectation. And, this is what may have caused that small, niggling feeling of dissatisfaction that doesn't quite leave you as you sit through the performance of ‘Taramandal' — waiting for that one dramatic moment that lifts an act to a higher level, connects on a deeper note and etches an impression you can carry back home.
But, perhaps, the seeming ordinariness was deliberate to emphasise the ordinary lives of the protagonists. In which case, the slow-motion-like unfolding of scenes must have achieved what it set out to do. Some scenes, however, did leave an impression. It's hard to fault the actors individually, but a dash of pepper in the overall act may have helped!
Smiti Narayan
Santhome High Road
