An astute observer and a master in conversing in the language of common man, Vaikkom Mohammad Basheer has no comparison and competition till date. But portraying ‘Basheerian’ characters in their full zeal and innocence without losing their ingenuity is not definitely a simple task. With veterans leaving a trail of strong tradition behind in rendering this colossal work, a small troupe from Mulanthuruthy village has dared to brush the apprehensions aside, by taking up the challenge and coming up with an excellent theatrical depiction of Basheer’s ‘Mucheettukalikkarante Makal’, a humorous story written in 1951.
Barring some minor flaws, the troupe comprising students could definitely hit the nail with their power packed performance.
‘Ottakannan Pokkar, Sainabha, Mandan Muthappa, Aanavari and Ponkurishu Thoma, Ettukali Mammoonju’, the familiar characters of Vaikkom Muhammad Basheer once again came alive on the stage on Friday. They could once again recreate the indelible expressions left by these characters in the perception of Malayali psyche. Though the play was abridged to adapt to the limited time, it did not lose its overall totality.
The play began with Ottakannan Pokkar getting ready to start his day in his small tea shop. The old man appeared proud of his lovely daughter, who also efficiently takes part in running the shop. It is no secret that he accumulated properties by going out of the way. Mandan Muthappa, Aanavari, Ponkurishu Thoma and Ettukali Mammoonju were his ardent followers. But as time flew, Mandan Muthappa started treading his own way, though he did not budge from the illegal activities which irked the Pokkar. But Muthappa always nurtured special feelings for Sainabha, who disliked him for the way he is and also for the way he looks like. Things suddenly change when Sainabha was caught red handed by Muthappa when she was stealing banana. Instead of giving her away, he glossed over it for he loved Sainabha.
She also fell head over heels in love with Muthappa for the helpful gesture. But things did not end there as Ottakannan Pokkar was dead against their union. Primarily, because Muthappa ditched him by not giving him the promised Rs 10 for teaching him how to smoke out of his nostrils and also Muthappa defeated him in playing cards. But at the end, he gives in as he was exhorted by his other disciples to give permission for their wedding.
More than their affection for each other, what affected Pokkar was his failure in playing cards. Pokker had been an undisputed winner of the village for years. But in the end, Muthappa reveals that he won the game with the tips provided by Sainaba. She marked the cards which helped Muthappa to win. The play ends with Ottakannnan Pokkar reiterating his statement ‘Fathers with daughters should always be cautious’.
With scant backdrop, the play was absolutely symbolic which could leave the spectator to linger in his own imaginary world. Humour had perfect timing. Ettukali Mammoonju was one character who, with his unerring dialogues, evoked laughter among the audience. Though the play slipped here and there which could well be attributed to their infancy, the overall feeling it evoked was tremendous. They could definitely pull the audience to the long lost charm of Basheerian era.
The students could well carry on their shoulders characters larger than their life. ‘Sainabha’ played by Mary Grace was particularly noticeable as her performance did not spill over anywhere. It is no wonder that she grabbed ‘Best Actress’ title when the team competed in district level competition. The team won second prize in sub district level competition. The play was directed by G S Vishnunath. C S Praveen, Hareesh, Nithin K R enacted the other roles.