The valour of the first woman in the south to take on the British colonists 75 years before Rani of Jhansi put up a valiant fight in northern India was brought to life on stage through ‘Veeramangai Velunachiyar,’ a dance-drama depicting the life of freedom fighter Velu Nachiyar of Sivaganga, at the Kalai Kaviri College of Fine Arts in Tiruchi on Saturday.
Co-produced by the Government Art and Culture Department, the Iyal Isai Nadaga Mandram, and the Information Department, the dance drama essays the tale of the woman who mobilised the patriots in Sivaganga to resist British invasion with the support of the Maruthu Pandiyar brothers, Hyder Ali and Gopal Naicker, and triumphed as the ‘Queen of Sivagangai.’
The performance had over 60 artists from the OVM theatre in Chennai, and it transported the audience to the 18th century through its vibrant narration and powerful dance moves.
The songs for the dance play were composed by V. Sriram Sharma, the writer and director, and HMV Raghu and sung by Nithyasree Mahadevan and Saindhavi.
According to Mr. Sharma, King of Sivaganga Muthu Vaduganathan, the Maruthu Pandiyar brothers - Periya Maruthu and Chinna Maruthu, Colonel Abraham Bonjour, the first martyr in Sivaganga Meetpu Por, Udayaal, and the woman warrior Kuyili are the vital characters in the play.
“The dance and drama are a recognition of the effort we as a team had put in. We are delighted and honoured to bring to light the story of the forgotten freedom fighter,” he said.
Minister for Municipal Administration K.N Nehru and Minister for School Education Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi felicitated the director for his masterful portrayal of Velu Nachiyar, an unsung warrior. Collector M. Pradeep Kumar, Mayor M. Anbazhagan, and Members of the Legislative Assembly joined the audience in watching the play in rapt attention.
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