The play ‘Maamiyar65@ hotmail.com,’ presented by Chennai-based Goodwill Stage, produced and directed by Kovai Paddhu, was staged by the Salem Amateur Arts Trust at the Salem Tamil Sangam Hall, recently.
The play talks about how vital is each individual’s responsibility in a joint family and it advocates the moral that life will be happy if family members share the responsibilities without thrusting the same on an individual.
Janaki, a homemaker, takes care of the daily chores of her household, the foremost being caring for her elderly in-laws.
The scene never changes even after her son’s wedding. In fact, the situation worsens as Janaki ends up doing things for both her mother-in-law and her working daughter-in-law. No one in the family tries to understand her commitment towards the family and they continue to ignore her interests. This worries Mani Iyer, the late father of Janaki, who comes to her rescue in the form of a poltergeist. He brings the atrocities being committed against Janaki to the notice of his son-in-law Kalyanaraman and seeks justice. He also urges Kalyanaraman to insist on sharing of responsibilities among the family members. Mani Iyer’s advice helps Kalyanaraman understand the sufferings of his wife. Soon, Kalyanaraman and Janaki leave for Vaideeswarankoil but they never return. Later the police inform the family about the recovery of Kalyanaraman’s mobile from near the railway track. Whether the sudden change in situation had an impact on the family, formed the rest of the story.
Kovai Anuradha has penned the story and dialogue.
Rajshree was perfect as Janaki, so also Ravikumar as Kalyanaraman and Srinivasamurthy as the ghost of late Mani Iyer. Vijayalakshmi (Janaki’s mother-in-law), Usha Nandhini (daughter-in-law), Srinivasan Sankar (Janaki’s son), Annadurai (friend of Janaki’s son), Kovai Paddhu (broker Bujangarao) and Venkatachalam (rowdy Kabali) extended a good support.
