ThRee entertains’ play Kaatriniley Varum Geetham straddles between fact and fiction

Handling plays on iconic personalities, whose larger-than-life image is deeply entrenched in the collective imagination of people, could be a daunting task.

ThRee entertains’ Kaatrinile Varum Geetham, based on the life and music of M.S. Subbulakshmi, directed by Bombay Gnanam, which premiered in Chennai to mark the legendary Carnatic musician’s 108th birth anniversary, was one such endeavour, where the narrative straddled between the two worlds of fact and fiction.

Based on a book

The two-and-a-half-hour play, which began with M.S. and Sadasivam being introduced to each other at the Kanchi math, travels down memory lane to show how a young Kunjamma from Madurai transitioned into a world-renowned Carnatic musician. The play is based on author V.S.V. Ramanan’s book of the same name. A few incidents from her personal life and some significant moments from her public life were strung together, interspersed with her popular songs.

The sequence of events flowed in a linear pattern, with the storyline and characters familiar to most of us. A few melodramatic scenes, particularly the M.S.-Sadasivam train journey, seemed to have been incorporated for impact.

Actors Lavanya Venugopal and Bhaskar, who donned the roles of M.S. and Sadasivam, were saddled with a difficult task of living up to the popular image of the couple. They attempted to recreate it through their dressing and mannerisms, but the portrayal left a lot to be desired.

From the play ‘Kaatrinile Varum Geetham’, which was based on VSV Ramanan’s book of the same name. | Photo Credit: SRINATH M

Pre-recorded dialogue

A few portions raised serious questions that need to be addressed. Theatre is defined as ‘a collaborative form of fine arts that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event in front of a live audience at a specific place’. Can this play, which had the actors lip-syncing (often the sync was missing) to a pre-recorded dialogue track (similar to dubsmash) be called a theatrical presentation? The restraint that this method brings on the actors was evident in every scene. Their stilted performances robbed the joy of watching a play.

Worse was the caricaturish portrayal of personalities such as Jawaharlal Nehru, Rajaji, Sarojini Naidu, Veena Dhanammal, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, and Kalki. Though they were part of the narrative, effort was not taken to show how they are integral to the M.S. story. In the scene, where Semmangudi and Rajaji appear together, one couldn’t differentiate one from the other. Equally comical was the Meera song sequence.

Lavanya Venugopal and Bhaskar as M.S. and Sadasivam in the play Kaatrinile Varum Geetham. | Photo Credit: SRINATH M

When presenting a play on a real person, care should be taken to ensure authenticity. Sadly, the play did not focus on her musical experiences, her hunger to expand her creative horizons, and the challenges she faced as a woman to establish herself.

Moving from original recordings of M.S. at certain places to the voice of Gayathri Venkataraghavan (though well-rendered) was a disturbing element. The sets did not establish the milieu of the places depicted. Lighting by Mohan Babu was below par.

If the play drew in the audience, credit goes to the aura of M.S. and the timeless appeal of her music. Kaatrinile Varum Geetham didn’t do much to celebrate the life and works of this Bharat Ratna awardee.

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