CHENNAI : In the history of Nataka Kavalar Chemmal RS Manohar’s drama, for the first time, a lady was featured in the promos. For K Vasantha, that was the keepsake moment of her stint in the world of dramas after dabbling in dance dramas.
Winning beginnings
Vasantha recalled that Sivathandavam was the play where she was equal to the maestro, matching him step by step. “Being an exponent of Bharatanatyam, Kathak and Kathakali, it was easy to keep pace with an accomplished male dancer. Manohar sir had taken an enormous effort to get into the skin of the character. The highlight and big moment of the play was the finale dance where both of us had to enact the Sivathandavam magic. He was the Siva and I was the Kali, licensed with all the firepower to give it back. There was a song in the background and the pace had to synchronise with that. Once the play found a repeat audience, Manohar saw the winning moment. An explicit poster was the reward, something which had never happened for a female lead,” she recalls.
Vasantha’s dream was to leave her mark in the dancing profession, having learned the nuances from Udipi Jayaraman. “But then, economic reasons pushed me to chance my luck in theatre, which had become a livelihood for scores of aspirants. As luck would have it, I got a break with famed comedian KA Thangavelu. The jitters gave way to a settled look soon; the troupe members losing no time to spot my dialogue delivery and apt body language,” she shares.
Unfazed effort
In an era, where artistes had to be proficient as a singer to hold their own in dramas, Vasantha says it was a difficult phase of her career, which was yet to take off in full swing. “Dance master Radhakrishnan helped to get my foothold in the movie production house of TR Radharani, a name to reckon with. My hands were full as an assistant dance master teaching the best of names in the industry. In no time, Angamuthu and Chandrakantha — pioneers of stage and dance dramas — opened their doors for me,” details the veteran artiste.
If that was the turning point, Vasantha says the better moment was when she was called to fill in the female voice in playback singer SC Krishnan’s orchestra. “Little did I bargain for all the cheering from the audience for a female singer in the male-dominated industry. It it was back to square one, rejoining Manohar after a fair bit of scouting in other areas,” she reminisces.
The challenge of being part of the historical plays of Manohar and leaving her mark was the clinching factor for her permanent place in the troupe. “As a rule, mythological characters were traditionally seen as the prime villains for centuries. Names like Ravana, Indrajith, Surpadma, Narakasura and Sushupala are enough to bring fear all around. When the brand name of Manohar is at the helm, expectations were feverish. The audience longed to hear the stentorian voice of the actor, whose dialogue delivery and timing were sheer magic. Giving equal footage to a leading lady was a rarity in the industry. In the character of Surpanaga, I cut him to size in Ravana, he willingly underplayed that character for the best impact,” she recalls.
For the love of stage
In that era, Manohar’s troupe was the only one called for shows abroad in Malaysia and Singapore. “On one such occasion, Manohar was left high and dry with no money to pay the artistes, the organisers having played truant. I was his Man Friday, selling my piece of jewellery and handing over the dollars. For once, Manohar was left speechless and only tears of joy. I was blessed to help him, who was more than a father figure,” she shares.
It was survival time for Vasantha after Manohar’s demise in 2010. Moving over to Madurai with any number of drama troupes, looked like a logical decision. “Understandably, the social dramas cannot be put in the same streets as that of the historical plays of Manohar. The characters were filling enough but not backed by the requisite payment. Affordability was a factor when ticket prices had to be kept at the barest minimum. The patronage in tier-two cities was not in the same streets as Chennai,” she informs.
Thanks to the revival of Manohar’s plays by his nephew S Shivprasadh, Vasantha was back in the fold in Chennai. Plays like Elangeswaran, Chanakya Sabadham, Dronar and Manohar’s all-time favourite Kadaga Muthreyan were like replays. “I could play them from memory, such was the impact of the dialogues due to the meticulous rehearsals. You could call it a second innings, but I have the same intensity to lend perfection to the characters, as my gurunathar had desired,” she says.
Another unforgettable outing was the book Stigmas of the Tamil Stage by Susan Seizer from the USA. In the ethnography of special drama artistes in south India, the author had acknowledged the inputs of Vasantha, during her tour here. “It was extensive research work on Tamil culture, where renowned names shared their insights and experiences with Susan. Imagine my shrieks of joy when my picture was the chosen one on the covers. I had an interpreter, who helped to relay my experience in the diversified fields,” she says.
The show must go on
Vasantha had a stint in television too, albeit, too brief to merit a mention. At 65, offers had dried up. With a meagre income of Rs 3,000 from Tamil Nadu Iyal Isai Nataka Manram and `1,000 from Narada Gana Sabha, she is pushed to the limits, in a one-room Slum Clearance Board premises in Perumbakkam. She desires to be part of the stage till her last breath. For that, she has to be closer to the city.
“There is so much chief minister MK Stalin has been doing for the art industry. I am still to lay my hands on the Kalaimamani award but the important thing is to find a roof above my head. If only more sabhas could come out with a similar contribution like NGS, my feet will be back in action,” she hopes. A desire which merits all the support.