Our aim is a laugh a minute, and we make no bones about it,” says Crazy Creations’ staple and Mohan’s sibling, Maadhu Balaji. The troupe is now gearing up for a week of its rib-ticklers. Aptly named ‘Crazy Comedy Utsav,’ it opens tomorrow with ‘Jurassic Baby’ and concludes with ‘Chocolate Krishna,’ on December 31, everyday at 7 p.m., at P. Obul Reddy Hall, Vani Mahal. “The fest is not being held under the auspices of a sabha. Our VKV Visions has decided to celebrate the 33 comedy-filled years of Crazy Creations, the 15 plays -- all written by Crazy Mohan and directed by S. B. Khanthan -- staged during the period, and the completion of 5500 shows in all. Incidentally, Mohan enters his 60 year and that’s an occasion too,” laughs Balaji. (For tickets call: 98410 49386; 94440 27202)
We all know Crazy Creations, but VKV Visions? “That’s after our grandpa, V.K. Venkatakrishnan – an avid theatre enthusiast. He was very much into stage acting in those days in Kumbakonam where he lived. Kathadi Ramamurthy’s father and he used to act in plays -- my grandpa donned serious roles while his dad took care of the humour quotient. And later when the other elders at home tried to wean us away from the stage, he kept encouraging us. So after his death Khanthan suggested we re-name the group as VKV Visions. All our transactions are made under the name of VKV Visions, though the Crazy Creations’ tag has stuck,” Balaji explains.
Five of the troupe’s plays have been staged 500 times, and more than 75 per cent of the productions have crossed the 300 mark. The 450 show of the latest play, ‘Chocolate Krishna,’ was held at Bangalore recently. “No sponsors, no great promos, yet all the four shows of ‘CK’ that weekend were performed to a full house,” Balaji has the statistics on his fingertips.
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But why a theatre utsav during the music mela? “Because it is bound to attract NRIs who have come down for the season,” he says.
“Did you tell her about our next play,” Mohan joins in with the poser to his bro, and adds: “We are launching ‘Google Gadothkacha’ in the summer of 2012.We have seven-weeks of stage plays in the U.S. lined up in April. I plan to complete writing the new play there, like film composers and directors, who take off to exotic locations to work,” he guffaws with characteristic zest. “But before all that is our theatre fest that opens tomorrow.”