In all its joys and sorrows

Vatikutira’s Shraddha Mattu Stainless Steel Patregalu left the audience in splits and in tears, all at once.

May 28, 2015 09:33 pm | Updated 09:33 pm IST

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Watching Vatikutira stage the Kannada play, Shraddha Mattu Stainless Steel Patregalu made one realise that there is something universal about the personal. Stories of one’s kith and kin, however rooted they are in a particular familial context seem to transcend that frame of reference to strike a chord with the listener. Perhaps, this is the reason why memoirs hold out such an appeal among their readers. The ‘I’ in a personal account, one realises, is not so much of an outsider and his equations with the members of his family, for instance, more often than not, bare an uncanny resemblance with our own lives.

Something similar was at work in Shraddha Mattu Stainless Steel Patregalu . Fusing two short stories — Shrinivasa Vaidya’s Shraddha and Vasudhendra’s Stainless Steel Paatregalu — the play was about a son’s recollection of his parents, of their mannerisms and quirks, their ideals and above all else, the love for their child. So, while Vaidya’s story was about Shrinivasa, a son’s fond recollection of his relationship with his authoritarian, yet loving father, Vasudhendra’s tale was about Vasu, another son’s affectionate, yet humorous narration of his mother’s fascination with steel vessels.

Directed by Kiran Vati, credit must be given to the actors for their ability to create an intimate setting within no time. The audience was instantaneously drawn towards Shrinivasa and Vasu and was eager to listen to what they had to say about their parents. Shrinivasa, standing on the threshold of sorrow and nostalgia on the day of his father’s death anniversary, sketched a rough profile of his father. As he recalled the ideals and philosophies that his father believed in, one realised that the manifestation of those principles was evident in the father-son equation itself. While Shrinivasa found some of the beliefs absurd and even poked fun at them, he also knew how dear they were to his father and respected him for that. In fact, the actor playing the role of Shrinivasa (Keerthi Bhanu) portrayed this complicated father-son equation with such finesse that one was immediately moved. If the audience laughed at the hilarious metaphors that Shrinivasa conjured up to describe his father’s mannerisms, they also almost cried at times when the father (Ganesh) grappled with showing love for his son.

Vasu’s relationship with his mother was significantly different from that of Shrinivasa and his father. Here was an adorable lady from Bellary whose only grouse was the lack of enough steel vessels in the kitchen. Disappointed that there were only copper vessels at her husband’s house, Vasu’s Amma made it a point to collect stainless steel vessels one after another. For her, coffee was tastier when it was served in the steel glass and the many compartments in a steel plate that were able to accommodate a curry, a pickle and a chutney, fascinated her to no end. Vasu’s narration was immersed in deep affection and the actor playing Vasu (Harish) portrayed that beautifully. The actor playing the role of the mother (Deepa Ravishankar) stood out for her portrayal of innocence, craze and perseverance.

The team knew how to use a minimal set design well. While the first story had two pictures — of a father and the other of a son, the second story had a shelf full of stainless steel vessels. The pictures of the father and son moved slightly apart as Shrinivasa grew distant from his father and the stainless steel vessels began to disappear from the shelves as there were no takers for them after Vasu’s Amma’s death.

The music and lighting complemented the story without interfering with the performance. After a short span of a little more than an hour, the audience left Ranga Shankara with a warm, fuzzy feeling of love and affection.

Indeed, some of the most universal emotions are said best through personal stories.

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