National poet Subramania Bharati’s classic poser – ‘would anyone fashion a well-strung Veena and then throw it in the dust heap to ruinous waste?’ – provides the theme for the play 'Nallathor Veenai Seithe!!!’ staged by the Mahalakshmi All Ladies Drama Club at the Rani Seethai hall, Chennai, last Saturday.
Keshav (Sudha Ramanathan) loves and marries Sheela (Lalitha Viswanathan), much against the wishes of his parents, mother Samyuktha (Bombay Gnanam), a dedicated, committed, advocate, and ‘mere’ father Sankaran (Swarna Srinivasan). Sheela’s mother (not a stage-character), a chronic man-hater, estranges herself from her daughter on this account. It is generally felt that the birth of a grandchild would unite all. But, Keshav had kept it a secret that he cannot ‘father a child’ due to a pre-marriage accident. However, Sheela conceives and a girl-child is born. Husband suspects Sheela’s fidelity. He also gets himself tested again along with the daughter’s paternity. It transpires that he has not lost his manhood, the earlier medical report being false, due to a computer error (garbage in, garbage out) and the child is also his own. Sheela gets furious at this turn of events. She applies for divorce but Keshav wins custody of the child on the plea that she could develop a hereditary hatred for the child.
Sheela seeks her mother-in-law Samuyuktha’s help. The committed advocate files a fresh case and wins back the custody of the child for the mother on the plea that Keshav has hereditary suicidal tendencies and, therefore, cannot be a normal father.
Years roll by. The girl Amrita (Kirthana Ramanathan), now a brilliant hostelite-schoolgirl, chances to meet her grand-parents and father. The truth comes out and once again there is a fight for the custody of the child, as the parents are irreconcilable. The decision is left to the girl. She chooses to be a lone-girl, inviting all her near and dear ones to come and visit her as and when practicable. She blames every one of them for having alienated her affections.
The theme-song is played (by Nitya) in the background to stress the mulish ego factors that have spoiled an innocent girl’s life by denial of normal close family relationships. The play teaches everyone a vital lesson. Man continues to be MCP, woman is needlessly vindictive and innocent children suffer traumatic experiences. All these can be overcome by a mutual give and take approach and attitude.
Story-dialogue-writer-director Bombay Gnanam plays the roles of housewife-mother-advocate effortlessly, the seasoned artiste that she is. However, contrived situations to suit the decided end rob her of necessary conviction in her presentations.
All the all-women cast understand their roles and portray their characters impressively. The women artistes portraying roles of men look more feminine than masculine. Possibly, the male onlooker’s mindset could be the reason. Mere moustaches do not men make! This observation applies as well to male acting as
femalel!
Behind-the-stage co-operation and administration are laudably effective. A good play that provokes objective thought processes in the modern context of ego-obsessed mind patterns.
R Srinivasan
18 A , IV Main Road,
R A Puram,
Chennai 600 028.
Phone 24355576
Email: annie_thomaz@yahoo.co.in
National poet Subramania Bharati’s classic poser – ‘would anyone fashion a well-strung Veena and then throw it in the dust heap to ruinous waste?’ – provides the theme for the play 'Nallathor Veenai Seithe!!!’ staged by the Mahalakshmi All Ladies Drama Club at the Rani Seethai hall, Chennai, last Saturday.
