An evening of laughs and logic
CHENNAI: One will never get tired of hearing the intelligent ways with which Tenali Raman handled the criminal cases in the Vijayanagar Empire. His confrontations with the Rajaguru has been the feature of countless stories. They have been retold in scores of plays in the southern languages. Tenali Raman also had a film version in Kannada, showcasing the range and depth of the intellect par excellence. Outsmarting the opponent was a game that he did with panache.
RM Gopalakrishnan, fresh from his recent Mylapore Academy award, said the two shows earlier in Chennai and Tiruchy, reflected the apt popularity of Tenali Raman, even now.
On his Rajaguru character, which won approbation from the audience, he said, “The best compliments were when a section of the audience in Tiruchy said the body language and voice modulation resembled that of MN Nambiar, who essayed a similar character in the movie Mandirakumari.”
In the play, K Sagayaraj dons the role of Tenali Raman, supported by Nanjil Revathi as Vasudha, his wife, Sabapathy as Krishnadevarayar, MD Murthy as a minister and N Singaraja as Orissa Pandit. It is written and directed by Srirangam Rangamani. The play has music by Vishwajai, costumes by Ashok and set design by Balan-Malikraj.
For many, Raman was just a clever court jester in the palace of Krishnadevarayar. But, up close, there was a human being who was deeply concerned about the welfare of the people. The points he drove home were laced with humour, but they all hit in all the right areas. Be it an arrogant poet or a dangerous spy, he outwitted them all. In all his endeavours, he was generously heaped with praise and gifts by the illustrious king. Join Tenali Raman as he teaches his enemies a sharp lesson with his sharp mind and quick-witted chess-like miss-it-not moves.