BENGALURU: Power corrupts but absolute power in a coalition government gives everyone a headache, except on stage. In the unpredictable theatre of Indian politics, chief ministers come and go, coalitions fracture overnight, and manifestos gather dust. But on the Kannada amateur stage, one chief minister has held onto his chair for the past 46 years, weathering every political storm imaginable without ever facing a single anti-incumbency wave.
The political satire ‘Mukhyamantri’ has completed 899 shows across the world. The play is based on a 1976 Hindi novel by Chanakya Sen and a subsequent adaptation by the same name by National School of Drama (NSD) stalwart Ranjit Kapoor. The play was introduced to Karnataka through Kalagangotri, a theatre troupe established in 1971. Translated to Kannada by TS Lohitashwa, it was directed by Kalagangotri president Rajaram with Chandrashekar aka ‘Mukhyamantri’ Chandru in the lead.
The story follows Krishna Dwaipayana Kaushal, wittily shortened to KD Kaushal, the Chief Minister of a fictional state, who is desperately scheming and abusing the loopholes in the system to retain his grip on power as party rivals, dissenters, and elections close in. It is a master class in exposing the mechanics of political survival: horse-trading, unprincipled alliances, and the absolute worship of power for its own sake.
Remembering the first show staged in December 1980, Chandru said it was fueled by grit over anything else. The troupe scheduled eight plays at Samsa Kala Mandira in Sampangi Rama Nagar behind the iconic Ravindra Kalakshetra auditorium. “It was vast, open space. We pooled our money and set up our own stage at a high budget of Rs 5,000,” Chandru recalled. At the price of Rs 3 to Rs 5 per tickets, the maiden show sold out prior to the theatrical debut. “We were not popular actors, the title was unique and created curiosity,” he said.
Chandru was initially hesitant to act in roles with dialogues. “For the first 25-30 shows, he only memorised the lines and delivered them in his unique way. But as he grew older and got into politics, became an MLA from Gauribidanur and spent time with ministers at the Vidhana Soudha, he took the opportunity to observe how the system works and incorporated it into the play. The performance is more refined and mature than when we began,” said Rajaram, the director.
When asked if the play is performed in other languages, Rajaram said, “No, the only other language that has this play is the original in Hindi, but it did not see the success that the Kannada version received. The Hindi version is three-and-a-half hours-long and very serious, as compared to the Kannada version, which is a light-hearted satire with a running time of two hours.”
When asked if they were ever asked to use the play as propaganda for political parties, Rajaram said, “Though the play is based on politics, it is only inspired, not influenced, by ruling or opposition parties. This play is free from any agenda other than entertaining the audience.”
Chandru, being a popular politician himself, was asked for tips on being an efficient leader. He said, “Politics is a way to serve society. It is important to stay true to the responsibility taken and work for the people, rather than treating it as an easy method to make personal gains. When a politician treats this as a business, it hurts society as a whole. Arrogance and greed are not ideal for a person who promises to lead us.”
Rajaram and Chandru have no plans to digitize the play in the OTT era. “Once recorded, the play becomes stagnant. It loses the very aspect that separates it from cinema. Performing arts will continue to stand strong amid the shift to digital means of entertainment. But it is also the responsibility of the star actors and directors who have made it big in the film industry to remember the roots and come back to perform in a play or two. This will help bring a larger audience back to the theatre,” Chandru said. He added that a play with a nice concept that entertains a family will encourage them to attend other plays, thus keeping the art alive.
“People ask us to complete 1,000 shows, but Chandru and I are already 73 (years old)”, said Rajaram. “Though we get energised while performing this play, we must also consider our physical limitations. We are an amateur theatre group and perform about 25 shows of ‘Mukhyamantri’ a year on average. It will take us four more years to hit the 1,000 milestone,” he said.
A few shows, plays and movies see success because of a star. It could be the actor or a director. “Since 1980, the lead character has always been played by Chandru, and the audience has enjoyed his timing and mannerisms. There is no replacement until he retires,” said Rajaram.
A PEEK INTO THE PLAY
All chief ministers of Karnataka since 1980 have watched the play.
The costume design of Mukhyamantri is heavily inspired by the appearance of former Karnataka chief minister Devaraj Urs
Producer N Veeraswamy cast Chandru as party president in the movie Chakravyuha (1983) after watching the play