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Laughter filled the auditorium of MGR Janaki College for Arts and Science, as the popular Tamil theatre group, Koothu-p-Pattarai, performed the play, ‘Chandrahari’, on August 28. The play, written in the 1920s by Pammal Sambandam Mudaliar, belongs to the ‘burlesque’ genre, where a serious subject is represented in a silly way. ‘Chandrahari’, as the name suggests, twists the concept and story of the famous play, ‘Harichandra’.

Sambandam Mudaliar wrote this play in order to introduce the ‘burlesque’ genre into Tamil literature, said Na. Muthusamy, the founder of Koothu-p-Pattarai. Thilakavathy Baskaran, the Principal of MGR Janaki College said that she had invited Koothu-p-Pattarai to perform so that the students of Tamil would get an insight into theatre, which had been recently made a part of the curriculum. She also informed that the Tamil Department of the college is planning to conduct a theatre workshop for the students with the help of Koothu-p-Pattarai, so that they can conduct a play every year on January 17, which happens to be the birthday of the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, MGR. Mr. Muthusamy said that ‘Chandrahari’ was selected because it could be easily comprehended by the students who were being introduced to theatre for the first time. He also said that the diction of the original play was being modified slightly to suit the contemporary times.

Play: Chandrahari
Director: M. George
Setting: Purushotaman
Lighting: Palani
Music: Jayaram

‘Chandrahari’, though comical and replete with slapstick humour, is a reflection of Kaliyuga, where evil, falsehood, and hatred reign supreme. The original king Harichandra gave up his kingdom, wealth and family and devoted his entire life for ‘truth’. Come what may, he never once uttered a lie and sincerely adhered to justice and goodness, whereas Chandrahari is one of the most fraudulent, scheming and greedy kings, always lying through his nose. Whereas the play Harichandra begins in the Indrasabha, ‘Chandrahari’ begins in the Yamasabha. The servants of Lord Yama are chopping a woman because she had thrown garbage on the roads while alive. A man is being chopped because he had won the elections on earth through fraudulent means.

Meanwhile sages Mitrarishi (Vishwamitra, in Harichandra) and Sishtavasa (Vashishta, in the original play) arrive at the sabha and lock horns over Chandrahari. The sage Sishtavasa challenges sage Mitrarishi that he would make Chandrahari utter at least one truth. If he failed in his endeavour, he would give half his punyam to Mitrarishi if he won the bet, Mitrarishi would have to carry a donkey on his back.

In the next scene, Sishtavasa comes to Chandrahari’s palace. The king lies that Chandrahari died years ago and that he is his grandson. Sishtavasa gives Chandrahari 9,000 gold coins for safe keeping. Sishtavasa tries to chase away the king from his kingdom, thinking that at least when driven to such an extreme situation he would tell the truth.

The king is hunting with his Minister, Asathya, when he sees two young girls (who happen to be the daughters of Sishtavasa). The king tries to rape the girls (the rape scene seemed a little crass, though it was in keeping with the burlesque tradition). On coming to know of this, Sishtavasa tries to kill Chandrahari. But Chandrahari swears that he never misbehaved with the girls. Sishtavasa is not convinced and tells the king to give him his kingdom as punishment. Chandrahari promises to do so in the presence of his subjects the next day. However, the scheming king tries to kill the rishi, but in vain.

Sishtavasa has the king and his family in his custody and tells Chandrahari to accept the truth, that what he had been doing all along was wrong. But Chandrahari pretends to be the person who is wronged and continues to lie. His wife, Madichandra (Chandramadi, in Harichandra) and son Dasdeva (Devdas, in the earlier play) are also hand in glove with Chandrahari in scheming and deceiving the rishi. The play proceeds in this fashion, with the rishi Sishatvasa and his disciple Eesalnakshatra desperately trying to make the liar king tell at least one truth, and Chandrahari aborting all their plans and successfully adhering to falsehood.

In the final scene King Chandrahari is in the garb of a ‘vettiyan’ (one who cremates the dead bodies). He has been given the duty of killing his own wife, Madichandra, who has been accused of murdering the young prince of Thenkasi. The rishi Sishtavasa is also at the cemetery and fails to recognize Chandrahari. Chandrahari and his wife hatch a plot to kill the rishi. Sishtavasa screams in horror and accepts defeat. At this point Lord Yama, Lord Siva and the rishi Mitrarishi arrive at the spot. In the play, ‘Harichandra’, Lord Siva blesses King Harichandra for his truthfulness and give him back his wealth and kingdom. Here Lord Yama pleads with his master, Lord Siva not to send Chandrahari to Yamalokha. Lord Siva himself is so frightened of the diligent and unwavering liar, that he tells Chandrahari and his family to run away from his sight!

With minimal props and music the play lightened the hearts of the audience, at the same time taking a dig at today’s society, where man would stoop to any level for wealth. Actors effortlessly indulged in slapstick humour, plunging the auditorium into laughter. The generous sprinkling of the local Chennai dialect also added a touch of comedy to the play.

It would be apt to say that educational institutions must make many more such efforts to showcase our folk arts, so that the younger generation realises the value of theatre and other art forms, which speak of our country’s rich and resplendent heritage.

Preethi P. Nair