It has been a rewarding year for Tamil theatre, with many new groups entering the fray and staging plays that are technology-driven. The audience, too, is ready for such productions.
Despite many hurdles, Crazy Creations has had consistent success and is now in its 37th year. Retaining most of the actors who joined the group in its founding days, the troupe launched its latest laugh riot, ‘Google Gadothgajan’, where Crazy Mohan has scripted both story and dialogue.
Mohan’s play is meant for children of all ages, which incidentally ensures a full house, as children have to be escorted by grown-ups.
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The play comes packed with Mohan’s typical word play, interspersed with some rather juvenile jokes. Clearly, he has not yet gotten out of the Krishna mode he donned for ‘Chocolate Krishna.’ Here, too, he appears as Krishna in the beginning and the end, but it’s his role as Gadothgajan (costume designed by cartoonist Keshav) that steals children’s hearts.
The story is typically Crazy. The hero goes through a considerable scrimmage to marry his first love, fighting his close friend who is also trying to woo the same girl.
As is Mohan’s wont, impersonation again rules the roost. Even the bears (make-up by Natarajan) interchange roles! Finally, Gadothgajan befriends the hero Madhu and helps him win his sweetheart.
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Crazy Mohan is in his elements as Gadothgajan and Lord Krishna while his brother Balaji essays his role easily. Noteworthy performances by Sundararajan as Kausalya patti and Appa Ramesh as Beggar Ramanujam help sustain the momentum.
Yet another segment the children will enjoy is the scene where Superstar Rajinikanth, Sachin Tendulkar and Amitabh Bachchan ‘greet’ Madhu. Badava Gopi has mimicked their voices with perfection. Neelu’s love for the stage is evident in the one scene he appears as the roadside laptop peddler.
S.B. Khanthan has directed the play, which ends on a philosophical note, which might leave the children a bit perplexed but is a good message for the grown-ups. He has beautifully used P. Suseela’s old song, ‘Kadhal Siragai’, in the play and the manner in which Kausalya patti transforms herself into a 16-year-old girl must get special mention.
After the show, Crazy Mohan was ready for a quick chat. “I have to capitalise on my strength which is comedy. Now I have reached the stage where I have to live up to my brand image.” Talking about ‘Chocolate Krishna’, one of the most successful plays in recent times, which will soon reach 1000 shows, Mohan says it had a huge influence on him, which is why he decided to reprise the role in ‘Google Gadothgajan’. Interestingly, he has completed a set of verses on Lord Krishna in a book titled Kannan Anuboothi .
“The Crazy group is my extended family and the camaraderie I enjoy with the group is the reason for my success,” says Mohan, as he poses for selfies with fans.