When you talk of an advantage, the obvious polar opposite is - a disadvantage. It is fashionable these days to talk of India’s demographic advantage, as most of the population is young and in the productive age bracket. So if the young are the ‘advantage’ India has, then by extension, the ‘disadvantage’ would be the elderly. So the focus of newspapers, television channels, or even political parties is the young. But how much space do they allocate to the old? That is the problem with reducing people to statistics.
Chennai Kalai Kuzhu’s ‘Kookkural’ written and directed by Pralayan, looked at old age through a series of short sketches, based on newspaper reports, visits to old age homes, and material gathered through research.
‘Kookkural’ at Raja Annamalai Mandram begins with characters from the Mahabharata. Dritarashtra, Gandhari and Kunti have retired to the forest. They reject the Pandavas’ invitation to return to the palace. Gandhari feels a surge of anger, when she touches Draupadi’s head, because Draupadi had wanted Dushasana’s blood to be smeared on her hair. But the anger dies down soon, and Gandhari says that the time spent in solitude and contemplation in the forest have helped heal her wounds to a great extent, and have given her peace of mind, something she wouldn’t trade for all the comforts of the palace. So for her, old age is a time for thought and healing.
For Kalyanaraman, a wealthy retiree, life is cushy,or so one would think. But there is an ‘economic’ factor behind his family’s affection for him. One day, Kalyanaraman doesn’t wake up from a nap and is presumed dead. Relatives are sent for, and preparations are being made for a funeral. But the ‘dead’ man wakes up, and then the family begins to quarrel.
Accusations and counter accusations fly back and forth about who has benefited the most from Kalyanaraman’s wealth. Disgusted with the behaviour of his children, he springs a surprise on them. He has been thinking of proposing to an old widow, who accompanies him on his morning walks. The family squabble helps him to make up his mind. He walks out of the house jauntily, rejuvenated by the thought of marriage!
Using songs, humour and powerful lines, ‘Kookkural’ showed how different people handled old age. The ultimate message was that old age was not to be dreaded. It was a stage in life, to be lived happily, to be enjoyed, to bury hurts, and to come to terms with the past and the present.
‘Kookkural’ pointed out that the elderly must not be taken for granted. No one has the right to control them. All we can do is be caregivers and show them our gratitude.
The actors must watch their diction. Many of them kept saying ‘La’ when they should have said ‘la,’ and it made one wince.
