TAMIL PERFORMING ARTS SOCIETY IN CHENNAI

Psychological drama
KAUSALYA SANTHANAM
The Tamil Performing Arts Society originating in Sri Lanka, recently staged ‘Mazhai.'

Photo: M. Karunakaran Gripping: Pratyega Katshi

and (below) Mazhai.

T he taut psychological drama is set against the backdrop of relentless rain.
Four characters are caught in an emotional storm: a daughter who feels deeply resentful and fettered by emotional bondage; a father who has thwarted the attempt of his daughter to fly away and set up her own home; a son who leaves the nest returning only after the father's death, and the family doctor to whom the daughter makes overtures.

Indira Parthasarathy's ‘Mazhai' holds audiences in its grip each time it is played out. The work has been staged in other parts of the country; surprisingly it does not see enough performances in Chennai.

The Tamil Performing Arts Society originating in Sri Lanka and based in London recently staged ‘Mazhai” in the city. It was followed by ‘Pratyega Katshi' a translation of Czech writer Vaclav Havel's work. The plays, directed by K. Balendra, founder of the group, were presented under the auspices of the Koothu-p-pattarai and Moondram Arangu at the Spaces.

Balendra says, “The success of Mazhai gave me the courage to forge ahead with my activities in the theatre. Along with ‘The Glass Menagerie' it is my favourite work. We have staged it in various countries including in Switzerland where the playwright attended the shows.”

Tamil plays in Colombo

From Yazhpanam to Colombo to Norway and then to London - that is the journey Balendra has made. “In my village near Yazhpanam, traditional Tamil plays would be performed. Once I joined the University of Colombo as a student of engineering, I took part in campus productions. Later, when a troupe was started, I became a member,” he says.

After obtaining his degree, Balendra went to Norway to study further. On his way back to Sri Lanka, he made a stopover at London to visit relatives. “I decided to stay there when riots broke out in Sri Lanka,” he tells you. When he met old friends from Colombo in London, they decided to resume their theatre activities. Anandarani with whom he had acted in plays in Colombo had also migrated to the U.K. by then. She performed the role of the daughter in ‘Mazhai' (as she did in the Chennai production) and it ended in their marriage.

“Surprisingly, the play has played Cupid for other actors too. Anandarani is now a civil servant in London, I work as an engineer. All those who are in our group are amateurs.” Despite hurdles such as meagre audiences initially, the scale of their theatre has grown substantially. The group stages plays by well known Indian playwrights as well as Western plays in translation.

And are the plays political? “Political comment yes, but not propaganda,” replies Balendra. “But we did a theatre presentation of poems on the theme of ‘War and Sri Lanka' and another play based on a short story by Kundavai, about how thousands had to move out from Jaffna in the matter of a few hours. We also presented a moving play about a mother who waits for the return of her son. It was written by S. Vasudevan,” he says pointing to the actor who performed the role of the doctor in the Chennai production. “And my wife is there of course with me all the way,” adds Balendra.

Anandarani has grown with the roles. “We wondered how people would react to my playing the daughter,” she says. “But they didn't seem to mind. As also the Sri Lankan accent,” they add.

For the past six years the group is involved in running a Tamil drama school for training children in theatre skills. “It is highly satisfying to prepare the children for the stage,” says Balendra while Anandarani nods in enthusiastic assent.