CHENNAI: Much like Bollywood actor Aamir Khan believing in not sacrificing quality for quantity, dramatist Dorai Balasundaram is happy to present one drama per year. Taking the mantle of mythological plays after the demise of Nataka Kavalar RS Manohar in 2006, he has churned out 12 plays in the avatar of producer-actor-director over the years.
When one wonders if mythological plays have seen the end, Bala, as he is known in the drama world, has given it a new lease of life. Ahead of his 12th play, Pattinathar, on July 3, Bala sits back to slip into nostalgia and spells out the reasons for his love of mythology.
Learning from legends
Bala has had his fill as an actor in the social plays of many troupes, thanks to his late father Dorai, a koothupattarai actor. “He used to perform koothu throughout the night in rural areas of Madurantakam. As a student, I utilised every opportunity, learning and honing the skills in writing, acting and slowly into direction. My father was the guiding force, never missing a chance to rectify the chinks,” he shares.
After a wealth of experience, he bagged a role in Manohar’s plays. “Those were small roles, but gave me the space to be with a legend and learn the nuances of a historical play. No coaching manual could have taught me the range of inputs which I was fortunate to get. How to make best use of the time during the change of scenes and the importance of rich costumes got stored in my mind. It is keeping me afloat in the drama world,” he says.
Bala is passionate about going in search of stories steeped in history and drawn from epics. “It was a tough grind when the newly formed Tamizharasan Theatres started the journey with the play Tiruvalluvar. Bringing the life of the bard, best known for Thirukurals, was a huge challenge. Not many were aware that when Tiruvalluvar was challenged for his two-line verses, the olaichuvudi that contained the verses was presented at the Lord’s feet and approved. There cannot be any slip in a play about a poet whose immortal work is considered the crowning jewel of Tamil literature,” he notes.
In mythological plays, it is imperative that audiences stay with the show. With many a trick up his sleeve, Bala has always managed to sustain their interest. “A gold-plated lotus springing up to the surface of the water in the pond left the audience spellbound. We made a vedalan and patramarai kulam also. The sets were transported to the venues in lorries, unheard of in those times. The play pocketed six awards including the prestigious Wisdon award,” Bala reminisces.
Another satisfying work for Bala was in Thirumoolar where in the dual role of actor-director, he had to bring out the intrinsic traits of the saint, one of the 63 Nayanars and foremost among the 18 Siddhrars, and author of Thirumandiram.
Making strides on stage
Bala’s strength is in sticking to convention and being clear of any controversy. “My audience is too seasoned and knows the minutest details. In Sri Narasimhar, there was lot of expectation as to how Prahlada would be punished and the emergence of Narasimhar from the pillar before killing Hiranyakasipu, the character played by me,” shares Bala. The audience clapped for a full minute, when the arrow of the two rivals met in mid-air. he also gave a different dimension to Manohar’s Soorapadman. As is his wont, he took a few liberties to present it in his inimitable style. “That gave me the avenue to bring in the trick shots where Sooran and Padman take different avatars as peacock and rooster,” he says.
What separates Bala from the rest? He says that humour is part of him and well reflected in the frame of each character. That essence was to the brim in the success of his most popular play ‘Ragu Kethu’. “In the south, a lot of importance is given to the horoscopes in matrimonial alliances. The presence of Ragu in a star is considered auspicious leading to wealth. On the other hand, Kethu will give loads of problems but the individual will be richer with experiences. The 32 grahangal coming to the stage by way of character was an innovative idea, winning a huge set of admirers,” he explains.
Talking about his latest, Pattinathar, based on the life of a 14th century saint, Bala says every play is like a new baby to the production house. That the play has seen three avatars as movies does not unsettle him. What fascinates him is the range of the saint who believed in the dictum in not getting lost to the logistics of life.
Changing roles
Bala often writes to ministries to push for the welfare of the theatre fraternity. For one, Anurag Thakur, Minister for Information and Broadcasting, quickly responded to his request of reviving Tamil plays in Doordarshan. A grateful Bala says, “As per the instructions, scripts have been sent and waiting for the approval. DD has been a home ground for Tamil plays and it will be a happy moment to get connected again.” Now, as general secretary of the Tamil Drama Production Association, Bala has a request for the Railway Minister to restore the one-third concession, stopped during the pandemic. “There is so much travelling for the members of Tamil stage troupes, thanks to the patronage of sabhas. There is a new lease of life for the old plays going by the success rate in recent times,” he says.
Bala is stepping as a producer with the movie Sirpa Grahangal. “The content will be rich but you can be assured of my brand of humour,” he says on taking on this new role. As a parting shot, Bala notes that movies will only be a diversion. “I have breathed the stage and every second is filled with joy. One can never be short of inspiration when following his passion. There are scores of scripts in history and mythology, which could do with a new coating,” he signs off.