CHENNAI: Eminent writers Kalki Krishnamurthy, T Janakiraman, Pudhumaipithan, R Chudamani, and Indira Parthasarathy had one thing in common — they penned timeless stories. Komal Theatre, the brainchild of Dharini Komal, daughter of Tamil theatre personality Komal Swaminathan, staged its first production Ivargalin Sirukathaigal, Ivargalin Iyakathil on Saturday. The play was staged for the first time in October 2018. The ninth show of the play staged theatrical adaptations of five short stories, each 15 minutes, by the above-mentioned legendary writers.
“I wanted to experiment with the Tamil literary side. There are a plethora of classics that can be adapted. I selected a few of them and got permission from the writers. The new addition in this show is Indira Parthasarathy’s short story. The main intention is to bring the classics back to the stage for the youngsters’ benefit,. So, instead of family stories, we decided to screen meaningful concepts,” said Dharini.
All the stories revolved around social and moral issues like the loyalty of a servant, women’s empowerment, a comical situation between a patient and his inner thoughts while he is on his death bed, the relationship between an auto driver and a widower, and the last few years of a successful lawyer. Right from the script to the cast, each play evoked nostalgia among patrons. The adaptations were directed by Dharini, Gowrishankar, Karthik Gowrishankar, and Elango Kumanan.
Indira Parthasarathy’s short story was adapted and directed by Dharini. The 15-minute portion featured a conversation between a widower and an auto driver. The widower had a sentimental pant gifted to him by his wife on his birthday. He would wear it on all special occasions. One day he realised the buckle had worn out. As suggested by a neighbour, he decided to go from Alwarpet to George Town to find good tailors, only to realise that nobody would take old pants for stitching and it was an outdated concept. The story of the old man trying to adapt to the current generation was relatable for many elderly in the crowd which attended the play.
“I’m ready to give opportunities to those who come to me with a script. Veteran stage actors are also eager to take up roles. Theatre has been our bread and butter while growing up. I’m glad to pursue my passion now. This is my way of giving back to my father’s accomplishments. I’m also taking my father’s classic like Thaneer Thaneer that are relevant till date. There will be a mix of comedy, tragic, history and more to engage the audience for 100 minutes in all our shows. Our vision is working towards good theatre,” said Dharini.