CHENNAI: One must first give bread to the poor and then recite the Gita because his primary need is bread. Motherhood is a universal state of life and only she can discern just by looking at her child how intense the pang of hunger is. Every religion harbours one goal.
The famous speech given on September 11, 1893, in Chicago, by Swami Vivekananda was adapted into a play during a theatrical inauguration, as part of the nine-day annual Navarathri festival. This play was a way of commemorating the time when Swamiji visited Chennai, post the historic speech.
K Vivekshankar, who scripted and directed his 30th play at Vivekandar Illam recently, says it was his long wish to present the play. He says, “As a student of Vivekananda College, this had been a long dream spanning over four decades. There could not have been a better occasion for staging the play, with the event getting the blessings of Swami Gautamananda Maharaj, president of Chennai Sri Ramakrishna Math. His presence and him honouring the artistes was an added sheen on the event. It was a landmark day for my production House, Prayatna.”
On the magnum opus, Vivek applauded the team work which made the staging of this play possible in a short span. He adds, “The focus was on the struggles undergone by the young Vivekananda, who had bowed to goddess Saraswathi (seen only in his vision) before starting the historic speech, and then addressed the audience as brothers and sisters of America.”
The clap lasted for a full two minutes before Swamiji recovered his poise. He says, “Every Indian was left speechless when Swamiji said he was proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. His expression of gratefulness on behalf of millions of Hindus of all caste and religion left a lasting impression.”
These segments found a prominence in the play where Vivek skilfully used shadow play to convey the time when young Vivekananda crossed the shores for the first time.
Enticing audience
Reflecting on his theatrical journey, Vivek recalls the days when he scripted and helmed his first play Production No. 1, which fetched actress Shanthi Ganesh the best screen award. The play had popular names which included the legendary Poornam Viswanathan. Shanthi was not sure if she could get the nod from Poornam for a play to be directed by a newcomer. Vivek says, “Imagine my surprise when Poornam sir flashed the green signal with a gentle piece of advice that the creator is the best one to mould his characters. The fire in me was ignited, and happily I took the onus of helming all my scripts till date.”
A debutant handling a sensitive script, based on restitution of conjugal rights under the Hindu Marriage Act, floored the audience. “In those days where not many had heard of the conjugal rights of a woman, the play created a storm. A welcome one, as it turned out. Sceptics wondered if the new guy on the block had a rush of blood but the knowledgeable ones could smell a new talent, all set to take wings,” he reminisces.
Vivek had dug out deep to dish out a crime-comedy entertainer Mera Naam Killer which found favours with the younger generation. If Sathyam Sivam Saavithri, which dwelt on hooligan and vandalism, brought out the havoc, Naan Avanethaan was an offbeat attempt about the pros and cons of identity crisis.
One could not miss Vivek’s desire to pick the famous film titles of Bollywood and Kollywood. He says, “The idea was to easily connect with the audience. A title is important to showcase the intention. Curiosity has to be created for the audience to wonder what could be in the showroom going by the showcase. Importantly, the director in me is charged up when ignited.” If variety is the spice, Vivek took delight in giving it the added colour in Nithham Oru Yuddham for the late actor V Gopalakrishnan’s Gopi Theatres group which won the best play for thematic content and production value by Mylapore Academy.
Through memory lanes
Vivek saw the world of theatre in the passion-drenched ways of Gopalakrishnan. He says, “He is my mentor and every play of my production house is dedicated to him. An unfulfilled dream of his was to stage a play of his for 100 consecutive days. That has been playing in my mind and I look forward to the day when I can fulfil his wish.”
A conscious decision was to ensure that no two plays of his had the similarities of two peas in a pod. Iru Veedugal was a serious play but in giving it a lighter coat, finding the merits in the attitude of the youth won me the best comedy play award besides the best actor award for Kathadi Ramamurthy from Mylapore Academy.
In an era where political satire found favours with all sections of the audience, Vivek saw the winning moment in the freedom to shape it to his heart’s content. He says, “One can take a few liberties in such scripts where the audience is happy to give the extended allowance. But then, facts had to be given its due respect which the media lost no time to appreciate.”
A play close to his heart is Neengalum Jeyikallam, for which an all-women theatre group was formed by cine-fame ‘Pasi’ Sathya. The play was honest to a fault, egging the women to find ways to open the doors of their fortune. He explains, “When the theme is powerful, the writer in me is happy to walk the extra mile to give the desired effect. Do not live in a cocoon and find the ways and means to spread the wings of happiness. This idea won me a lot of admirers. All along in my plays, the harping line was in the ability to execute the ideas. What is the use of having a bagful of thoughts and letting it pass without giving it a shot! Give an honest try, unperturbed by the results. This has been the bottom line of my scripts.”
His penchant for family values in his scripts was the reason to churn out Uravugal Dot Com in his maiden play for his banner. He says, “The play in the Kodai Nataka Vizha won a handful of awards, including the best director award of Mylapore Academy. Awards do motivate me, but I am not the one to lose sleep on that. For me, the audience’s approbation is what matters.”
Moments to remember
A hard taskmaster, Vivek’s magical moment was in Dhanushkodi where a continuous downpour at the backdrop had the audience in a thrall. “Water was brought in gallons and the effect had to be shown as four-tier rain. A tub made of iron was set in four places on the stage to absorb the pouring water but it was not visible to the audience. The water was connected to a motor with holes in the pipe. The idea was mine and the execution was spotless from the art director Mohan Babu,” he says. For dialogues to be heard clearly amid the rain, they erected a waterproof sound on the stage ensuring that the audience had their fill while compliments poured from all quarters.
No interview of his could be complete without revealing Rail Sneham where three apartments are shown at the backdrop and a constable wading through his way in a cycle. He says, “The high point was in setting up the tracks to give authenticity to the script. With just a piece of wood, the desired impact could be created, thanks to the astute work of Mohan Babu. At the end of the day, it is a team effort and I am open to ideas from everyone in the unit. But then, the final product is mine — credit or flak all boils to the execution and it is fine with me. Learn from the mistakes and move ahead is my mantra and it has been a soul-searching one, all through.”
Even as you wonder if Vivek has reached the pinnacle with Swami Vivekananda, he will surprise you as his next one is on Ramakrishnananda, a contemporary of Vivekananda. “Not many are aware of his guru bakthi (service to the guru) at Baranagor Math for 12 years without missing a single day,” he says. Blessed to be part of back-to-back scripts on two great leaders of world history, Vivek concludes by quoting the famous lines, “Miles to go before I sleep.”