Under a Banyan tree somewhere in Auroville, three actors and a theatre director came together, where they began brainstorming and improvising ideas for a play. Twenty days later, the team birthed Kindhan Charithiram or Story of Kindhan. This weekend, the production, a collaboration between Indianostrum Theatre and Perch, will be staged for the first time outside Puducherry, where it had its genesis.
Says Rajiv Krishnan, the play’s director, "It just so happened that I was in Pondy and so were Kali, Dharani and David (the actors), so we got together in Auroville and began developing ideas for a new play. That’s how Kindhan was born."
The hour-long production takes the audience on a journey through the life of the play’s titular character and the various people that shape his little odyssey. A crucial element in the play, songs from MGR-starrers will feature prominently throughout, making it a treat for aficionados of Tamil film music as well.
Right at the outset, the team had decided that the production would have to be a delightful one. "Two years of the pandemic has given us more than our fair share of depressing stories; a depressing play is the last thing we needed to give our audience. Kindhan has got music and movement and we hope it delights the audience in Chennai," Krishnan adds.
The production, chiefly in Tamil, is designed in such a way that it can appeal to someone unfamiliar with the language. “You get a lot more from the play when you know the language — especially with regard to the MGR songs - but even if you don't you'll still enjoy it. We’ve performed Kindhan in Pondy and Auroville to audiences where many did not know the language, and still, it was well received.”
Catch 'Kindhan Charithiram' today 7 pm at Alliance Francaise, and tomorrow 7 pm at Koothu-p-pattarai.
