AT first glance, it was like watching two women dashing madly round and round the stage. One dressed in a glittering white pavadai-chattai and the other in baggy shorts and shirt might not sound very inspiring. Look closer and you notice a method to the madness on stage, created by actresses Rohini and Nikhila Kesavan.
The latest brainchild of Prasanna Ramaswamy, Nadhiyin Karunai, based on poet Manushyaputhran’s poem by the same name, takes its knot from the violence and terror that surrounds us today and that resides deep in our hearts, unnoticed and unacknowledged. Rohini and Nikhila, the only players in this short 30 minute piece, illustrated the repercussions of the tormented world we live in, reciting “Inru ratha aaru odavillai!” again and again, with varying degrees of emotion and modulation.
A long piece of fabric was used as the only prop, doubling up a river at one point and the collective world consciousness at another. As the brief dramatic piece came to an end, a volley of comments kicked off an avid discussion on the play, its sub-text, and what exactly it conveyed to the post-26/11 India.
“When this poem was written in 2002, the times were filled with sorrow and anger,” reminisced Manushyaputhran, commenting on the play, “That was the aftermath of the Gujarat riots and the real enemy was pointless, nameless aggression and violence. The kolaival that is mentioned in the poem is just an instrument. It has been used by different men, at different times but it always lies dormant within us, just as it lies underneath a deep river, in the poem. In some ways, we are nothing but pawns in this game and my poem reflects the dark times we live in.”
Prasanna, the creator, was far more voluble in her comments as she and the team chatted about the process of bringing the poem to play. “This is a continuous process, a recovery of civil spaces,” she explained. “I wanted to register the resonance. For me, and for all the actors, this, I think, was a way of understanding, assimilating and overcoming the fear we all felt at the events in Mumbai. You have to understand what goes on in the midst of these fundamentalists as well. What is the mindset of a man who fights on the LOC, or is a terrorist?” Abruptly, her voice sinks to despair. “I have tried crossing these thresholds, but I cannot seem to find the light.”
Members of the audience, like poet Thamizachi and director N S Yamuna also shared their views. “As someone who has donned the roles of a poet, seen her work being brought to the form of a play, and as a spectator, I believe Prasanna has brought this poem to another level.”
Rohini, perhaps, presented the most candid comment of all. “When I first read the poem, I confess I didn’t understand it,” admitted the actress. “The full significance of the poem and the layers it had struck me when we were rehearsing and hit me when the Mumbai attacks happened. At that time, I wondered: would I really be able to say, There are no rivers of blood running, at that point?” Prasanna echoed her thoughts.
As thoughts flew about the imagery revolving around the fabric, the metaphor created by the sword and the visual impact of the play, you couldn’t help thinking that at whatever time Nadhiyin Karunai was written, its impact would always be felt.
expresso@epmltd.com