Two thieves, the protagonists, climb the prison wall to escape into the colourful outside world. They explore the world beyond the confines and encounter several men and godmen, policemen and politicians... they gape at these evils, their greed for wealth, lack of integrity and hunger for power. Thoroughly disgusted, they revert to jail, hailing life back there as more equitable and honourable.
The name of the play was ‘Paschatapa’, enacted several thousand times by his legendary father and Master Hirannaiah himself, with his Hirannaiah Mitra Mandali. I recall every line that I listened to on an audio cassette as a young girl, over and over again. He was fearless, unsparing, his sense of comic timing and presence of mind unmatched, his social and political awareness spot on.
I had the good fortune of acting with him in my very first Kannada film, Kalyanotsava, in 1993, my eyes brimming with awe for this theatrical giant who I had grown up watching. “Thirupati Thimmappa is the socialist god of Kaliyuga. He takes large donations from the rich and gives it away to the poor,” he declares in Paschatapa. Master Hirannaiah was a socialist at heart and espoused the most burning social issues through his unparalleled humour and satire. Lanchavatara, another hit play, called out the corruption of his times, be it in bureaucracy or politics. His form was Vrutti Rangabhoomi or Kannada professional theatre, the bulk of which was mythological and historical plays, with social plays few and far between. His extempore lines with perfect timing undermined theatrical craft, and audiences thronged his plays for they expressed the common man’s anguish and concerns woven tactfully into humour that kept them in splits.
“Look at him, sitting shamelessly in the first row, blackmailing my manager for free passes because he’s an MLA. I do theatre for my livelihood, it earns me my two square meals a day,” he said fearlessly to the politician in the first row. He was among the worst critics of Indira Gandhi and the Congress party, unsparing of those who indulged in corruption, and never scared to take their name in a play. His social activism through theatre preceded forms like street plays, which later became vehicles for social communication.
Master Hirannaiah’s departure marks the end of an era in its truest sense. At a time when infotainment has found means like television, digital platforms and social media, and audiences for professional theatre are fast diminishing, perhaps he will be remembered as a phenomenon. Na bhuto, Na bhavishyati, Never before, never after! I feel honoured that he was especially fond of my role in Mayamaruga, in which I played the female protagonist, and always remarked on it every time we met while acting or at other functions. I feel blessed that I belong to a generation which at least rubbed shoulders with a legend like Hirannaiah, although we did not get to witness him in all his glory in the 70s and 80s. He will remain immortalised through his work, as someone who made a whole generation laugh.
When satire proved too much for Master
Mysuru: Ace theatre personality had to tender an apology for his take on politics off the stage in Mysuru in 2014. A rather castigating remark on then CM Siddaramaiah and AICC president Sonia Gandhi, off the stage, almost proved fatal for him. Naganava Kala Sahitya Vedike had organised award distribution ceremony at Nadabrahma Sangeet Sabha on JLB Road in the city. Hirannaiah was also one of the recipients. All was fine till the artist said, “Siddaramaiah who sought the support of people, irrespective of age during the elections, is now doing something else...” Though many in the gathering failed to understand the satire behind the statement, it riled up some of the trusted acolytes of Siddaramaiah, also a native of the city. By the time an angered group of Congress leaders reached the venue, Hirannaiah had exited the place, unaware of the fate to befall on him. The angry youths, led by the self-proclaimed president of M K Somashekar Fans’ Association, Lokesh (Piya), now a Congress corporator, barged into the auditorium and went on a rampage. They flung chairs in the air and also banged a few of them, even as the helpless organisers watched them
in fear.
(The writer is an actress and politician)