Kannada Natya Ranga was back on stage at Ravindra Bharati last week, after long, since the demise of its founder and architect Karody Gundu Rao. The play chosen to mark the occasion was Mysuru Malli, which Gundu Rao had scripted, adapting from Bernard Shaws’s Pigmallion .
An equally important event was the release of a book titled Deepavali Matthu Itara Natakagalu meaning ‘Deepavali And Other plays’, written by Gundu Rao. As a mark of respect to the departed soul, his son Karody Niranjana Rao brought out this collection of nine plays. The book was released by Vaidehi, celebrated Kannada writer and Central Sahitya Akademi awardee. She lauded the efforts put in by its editors, Niranjan Rao and Sumathi Niranjan and said how drama was connected with life, retaining its identity outside Karnataka.
The play Mysuru Malli was presented by Gombemane troupe from Dharwad and directed by Rajini Garud. This version largely retained the flavour of the original period play, set in modern format with minimal props and good use of light effects. The scenes blended smoothly with interlude music of the love-sick Raju’s song dominating the proceedings.
The play opened with a symbolic sequence of how a sculptor falls in love with his own creation like shown in its original Greek myth ‘Pygmalion’. The songs in this play were originally written and tuned by Gundu Rao. Prof. Puttanna (Sunil Patri) is an eccentric bachelor and professor in Phonetics. Trouble erupts when he wages a bet with another language savvy Major Mahajan (Bharamgoud Patil) that he can change the diction of a poor flower seller Malli, he meets on the way, to that of an aristocratic lady who could speak idiomatic Kannada within six months and says he would even present her in royal court. Prof. Puttanna first provides space for her, despite protests by the owner of the house Papamma (Rosy Varstad). Malli’s father, a drunkard Maddur Maddappa (Mahadevappa), tries to blackmail Puttanna. The professor gets rid of him by offering some money.
Malli under training attracts the attention of one Raju (Shanta Hegde). Raju’s mother Jayalakshmamma (Bheemamma Avari) and sister Tara (Jyoti Solikatti) are middle class gentry fallen on evil days. Raju’s mother, desperate to marry off Tara, tries to pair her with the Professor, in vain. Having trained Malli, the professor first presents her to his parents (Navin Karigannavar and Gayatri Mahadev). They are taken aback with Malli’s lady-like behaviour. The Professor then presents her in the Royal court of the Yuvaraja, introducing her as a princess. She passes the test. However, Malli feels she’s being treated like a puppet. She is also torn between the self-centred professor and caring Raju. She realises that the professor has no interest in her and refuses to stay with him any longer.
Meanwhile, the professor realises that he has become overly dependent on her. He wants her back, but only on his terms. Playwright Gundu Rao deviates a little from Shaw’s solution and in his adaptation by enabling her to find true happiness in marrying Raju as her relation with the professor is akin to Guru and Sishya. The flower girl finally falls in love with poverty-stricken Raju, accepting middle class values.
Sunil Patri as professor Puttanna and Chitra as Malli gave superlative performances. Mahadevappa as Maddappa did justice to the role with application of Dharwad dialect to his diction that drew applause from packed house.
Other roles were played by the rest of the artistes who lent good support. Some songs were set in Hindustani style. Panchamukhi, Ramanna Kasar and Suresh Nidugundi rendered these songs well. Make-up and costumes by Santosh Mahale and lighting by H. Mahadev and Nagraj Patil supported the play well.
