‘Vandichodai’ is a Tamil word that denotes cart tracks on a mud road. In the context of The Hindu Theatre Fest 2016, it holds a deeper meaning — that of a new path forged into uncharted territory. For the first time since its inception in 2005, the festival features three Tamil plays.
The Fest is being held from August 19 to 21 and August 26 to 28, the latter reserved for Aayirathiyoru Iravugal by Theatre Zero, Mundhirikkotte by Guduguduppukkari, and Vandichodai by Koothu-p-Pattarai.
Tamil theatre is as old and as powerful as the language itself. From the touring drama companies that tell dramatic stories from our epics in village squares to the avant-garde productions of the likes of Na. Muthuswamy, the horizon of Tamil theatre is constantly expanding. The Hindu Theatre Fest 2016 seeks to capture this essence — that of change and diversity. Veteran playwright Na. Muthuswamy feels that serious Tamil theatre with good storytelling has always had a small audience. “The situation is still the same,” he adds.
Isn’t it a good sign that they are now part of one of the biggest festivals for theatre in the country? “Yes, change is good,” observes the 80-year-old.
Koothu-p-Pattarai, the theatre group Muthuswamy founded, presents Vandichodai for lovers of stylised, abstract productions that question our understanding of society. The play is being staged for the first time since Muthuswamy wrote it in 1968. It’s being directed by litterateur R.P. Rajanayahem.
Picture this: a generation without an identity of its own that thrives on ignorance and functions as part of a nameless machine without ambitions and dreams. Vandichodai speaks of such a people. Says actor Prasanna Ramkumar: “In the traditional guru-sishya set-up of our past, the guru always withheld important knowledge from his students. Over time, this accumulated into a period of ignorance. We are now on the brink of such ignorance — this forms the essence of our play.”
Sunandha Raghunathan, the playwright of Mundhirikkotte, wants to tell stories of our land. In Mundhirikkotte, she tells the story of a 12-year-old boy from the coastal village of Parangipettai, which is made up of salt-pan workers. What does little Karuppannasami alias KP, who “doesn’t have the agency or guidance to articulate a profound moment” do when he’s forced to choose between what is good for him and what feels good? With the little boy’s emotions at its core, the play explores larger issues of poverty and ambition.
Sunandha wrote the play as part of the Writers’ Bloc workshop held by Rage Theatre, Mumbai, in collaboration with The Royal Court, U.K. It has been directed by Anitha Santhanam.
“Sunandha and I visited Parangipettai to speak to the people,” says Anitha. The costumes were, in fact, sourced from the village.
Aayirathiyoru Iravugal is playwright/director Vinodhini Vaidyanathan’s take on the Arabian Nights. Vinodhini is fascinated by how each of us adds our stories to these often-repeated tales.
“What Birbal does in a story is wrongly attributed to say, Tenali,” she says. “I take an absurdist look at the stories.” Presented by Theatre Zero, Aayirathiyoru Iravugal promises to be fun and colourful.
The English plays begin with a love story. One that is especially intriguing because it’s being retold by one of the most charming real-life couples on the Indian stage — Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah.
Dear Liar dramatises the romance between Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw and Mrs. Patrick Campbell, who was a popular English stage actress in the 1900s. They wrote to each other constantly over the 40 years of their “platonic love affair”. The play pieces together this correspondence to recreate this fascinating relationship. Written by American writer Jerome Kilty and directed by Satyadev Dubey, the story unfolds as Shaw (Naseeruddin Shah) and Campbell (Ratna Pathak Shah) read out their letters. They are funny, endearing and emotional.
Then, there’s The God of Carnage by QTP Productions. Since QTP’s mission statement is creating unique theatre experiences for audiences, it’s not surprising they have chosen a deceptively simple story by Yasmin Reza to explore. The basic plot? Two children fight in a park. One suffers minor injuries. Their parents meet to discuss how to deal with the issue.
Nadir Khan’s acidic version explores how quickly a superficially polite meeting can degenerate into a vicious, and unexpectedly comic, confrontation. The most compelling part? Let’s be honest. It could happen to anyone. Ultimately, this is a scathing story about what happens when people drop their masks. Want one more reason to watch it? The sparkling cast: Shernaz Patel, Anu Menon, Sohrab Ardeshir and Zafar Karachiwala.
The boy with anger issues, the kid who’s self-conscious of his body, the one who’s taunted by the classroom bully… stories of children take centre stage in J Productions’ Yatagarasu. Directed by Yuki Ellias, it talks about how “children deal with emotions and find out who they are and who they want to be in life”. Yuki explains that Yatagarasu is a high-energy, entertaining play that employs dance and theatre. “Among nine of our actors, seven are primarily dancers.” She adds that the story is based on real-life incidents that the dancers experienced growing up. Although about children and their world, she says that Yatagarasu will be enjoyed by people of all ages, and “will leave you feeling warm inside”.
This year promises to be an exciting mix of abstract, fun, and emotionally-charged productions. But most importantly, The Hindu Theatre Fest is on the cusp of change where Tamil plays take the stage. Be there to be a part of this transformation.
DATES AND TICKET PRICES
August 19: Dear Liar - Rs. 1,000, Rs. 500 and Rs. 300
August 20: Yatagarasu – Rs. 600, Rs. 400 and Rs. 250
August 21: The God of Carnage – Rs. 600, Rs. 400 and Rs. 250
August 26: Aayirathiyoru Iravugal – Rs. 250
August 27: Mundhirikkotte – Rs. 250
August 28: Vandichodai – Rs. 250
Season passes are priced at Rs. 1,800 and Rs. 1,200 for English plays and Rs. 600 for Tamil plays.
The Hindu Theatre Fest 2016
The Title Sponsor of the event is YES BANK. The Associate Sponsors are Kauvery Hospital, Hindustan International School and Telangana Tourism. The Hospitality Partner is Taj Coromandel. The Mall Partner is Phoenix Market City (Chennai). The Mobility Partner is Ola. The gift partner is Terra Earthfood. The Radio Partner for English plays is Chennai Live 104.8. The Radio Partner for Tamil plays is Radio City 91.1. The Merchandise Partner is Focus Art Gallery and the Event Manager is evam.
Published - July 17, 2016 10:13 pm IST
