It is a grey , cloudy and overcast Saturday in Bangalore.
Thanks to the Karnataka bandh ( since when did they call for bandh on Saturdays) the
almost traffic less drive through to Alliance Francaise is a breeze, literally.
The old world charm of Allaince Francaise building and the
cozy warmth of its auditorium is very comforting.
To think, I have come
to watch a play with absolutely no clue as to what it is all about is slightly discomforting.
Nagercoil Expressum Nadaga companyum … uh
!!! what sort of a title is that ?.
Well … they are two stage plays and sandwiched between them is a ten minute intermission.
One occurs aboard the Nagercoil Express when two co-passengers
Chandru and Shankar get acquainted over a drink only to discover a third passenger
and a strange message that awaits them.
The second one, Nadaga Company is a satire that takes
you back and forth and right through the messy intertwined landscape of the
intricate connection of cinema and politics in Tamilnadu. The play takes
potshots at those chance actors and errand boys of the erstwhile
theatre groups who shot to fame with the advent of cinema and then those who later shaped the murky landscape of power and politics in
Tamilnadu.
Seamless acting out of scenes, the atrociously colourful costumes coupled with amazing histrionics
from the artists, a subtle but apt musical
score and not to mention the near flawless direction of Vinodhini Vaidyanathan are all simply breathtaking.
Wow … Tamil theatre has really come of age since the S V Sekar
and R S Manohar days.
As I drive out of the parking lot and meander through the
thick foliage of alliance Francaise , I catch myself LLOL … literally laughing out loud.
Karruppu kannadi pottavan ellam kedi illai …
followed tongue in cheek by
Mattukari thinravan
ellam Modi illai ….
( Translation
will not do any justice … I will let it pass )
All throughout the drive back I am reliving
the dialogues that came and went in quick succession. It is not like I am slow
at the uptake. It is just that the
Scenes unfolded and the dialogues came
in too fast and furious for someone totally uninitiated to register. Needless
to say it was a laugh riot all the way.
It is a brilliantly enacted piece of satirical theatre that
lingers around for hours after you have moved on …
The next show was at 7.30 pm. May be I should have stayed
back to watch the second time. Like a
kaldeiscope, where you get to view a different
perspective every time, one could enjoy some cleverly crafted comedy and a chance to admire some great acting
performances.
Worth a second watch.
.JPG)
Good to know that this play has impressed you. Was considering watching Tamil plays for a while, now maybe it's time to go to a few :)
ReplyDeleteLovely review. Thanks Jayanti..rain and bandh kept many away..but we did have high energy shows. I hope we do the play again in BLR..
ReplyDeleteThanks for the P.S. line. That's my most favorite line in the review :-)
Very informative, thanks for posting such informative content. Expecting more from you.
ReplyDeletePillai Matrimonial Services