IT may be a mere coincidence that the life of mystic composer Mohammad Sabir Baburaj was synonymous to the lines he scored. When Thrissur Act Lab tried to visualise the tragic life of Babukka through the one-act play Baburaj - Paaduka Paattukara, it wetted the eyes of most viewers. The play began against the backdrop of the lines, ‘Thedunnathaare Shoonyathayil’. As no other song can expose the mystic nature of this nomadic composer, the viewers were virtually taken to those bygone days of joy and pain in his career as a composer.
With minimal stage properties, which include a portrait of Baburaj, a harmonium and an aesthetically designed gigantic model of a gramophone, director Sasidharan Naduvil conveyed the mood of the play.
After briefing the content of the play, Sajeev transformed himself into Baburaj. The stage craft adopted for this unique moment was quite catching. Going to the place where the portrait of Baburaj was placed, Sajeev removed the image of the composer from the frame and became Mohammad Sabir Baburaj, the central character of the play.
A ten-year-old boy sang in tune with the rhythm of the beat on his navel. A police constable named Kunjumuhammad spotted talent in the street singer and took to the boy. Holding the hands of Kunjumuhammad and two other small boys (K T Muhammad, the same old thespian, and Kozhikode Abdul Khader) Muhammad Sabir started his eventful and mellifluous musical pilgrimage. That was the beginning of a golden era in music.
He took a mystic journey to West Bengal to see his father Ustad Jan Muhammad. A decadelong wandering enabled young Baburaj to learn the magic of North Indian music - like Khawali, Sufi and other folk-based soulful tunes. Sajeev, with his immense experience in Pune Film Institute, tried to recreate the dramatic moments of these events through mono act.
When the mystic returned he met famous director Ramu Karyat and Malayalam filmdom got a musical magician who turned the immort a l lines of P Bhaskaran, Vayalar and Yusuf Ali Kechery into heavenly music.
The script of the play was drafted in such a way as to show the intimacy of Baburaj with his l y r i c i s t s , e s p e c i a l l y P Bhaskaran.
Songs like Kadale Neelakadale in Thalath Muhammad’s tranquillising voice, Innale Mayangumbol..., Chudukanneeraal...
Sooryakanthi...Oru Pushpam Maathram...and Thaamarakumbilallo Mama Hrudayam...
added spice to the tearjerker.
Sajeev tried to unveil the little known agonies faced by the composer during his matchless musical journey — with an ascetic mind and addicted to wine and music. Though his heydays were filled with wine, friends and Khawali the other side was awfully lonesome. The actor tried to portray the indescribable mental agony of Baburaj with the support of the composer’s swan songs ‘Kanneerum Swapnangalum Vilkkuvaan’... and ‘Vijanatheerame Kanduvo Nee...’ The climax had the actor bringing singers Gulam Ali, Mallikarjun Mansoor, Kishori Amolkar and Bheemsen Joshi through the hysteric mind of Baburaj.
Using the theatrical skills, the actor narrated the tragic life of Malayalis’ all-time favourite composer, Baburaj.
The play was staged under the auspices of Bank Employees Art Movement Ernakulam (BEAME) at Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan Hall.
kochi@expressbuzz.com