Presented by Indian Ensemble and Riad Mahmood Education and Arts Foundation at the just ended Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META), “Kaumudi” is a complex work of theatrical art with various thematic strands woven into the basic structure of the narrative. On the surface, it tends to be a drama-within-the-drama but at one level it depicts the conflict between a son and father and their approach to the acting style. At a deeper level it examines the very raison d'être of the theatre, its relation with society. And above all it is a drama of the pathetic fall of a legendary actor unable to cope with his progressive blindness. It enriches the audience emotionally and stimulates intellectually. The artistic value of the production is enhanced with outstanding performances by artists endowed with consummate histrionic talents.
The production that was staged at Kamani auditorium was directed and written by Abhishek Majumdar, who has taken inspiration from the Malayalam novel “Vyasam Vigneswaram” by Sachidanandan — who uses the pseudonym Anand — and the essay “Blindness” by Jorges Luis Borges, an Argentinian writer and poet whose contribution to magical realism is considered significant, who became completely blind at the age of 55. From Anand’s novel the playwright has incorporated the new version of the Mahabharata episode in which Abhimanyu is encircled by the Kaurava warriors and has a conversation with the ghost of Ekalavya. The ghost of Ekalavya exposes the inadequacy of the training given to Arjuna by Dronacharya. Arjuna was not a great master of archery. A trapped Abhimanu seeks to know from the ghost the strategy of coming out of the Chakravyu. Ekalavya tells him that his plight is the result of his incomplete knowledge of warfare. The ghost also tells him that it is the fault of Arjuna who abdicated his duty as the father. He should have faced the Kauravas instead of sending his young son to the front.
The thematic element about the blindness of the performer of Ekalavya is drawn from the work of Borges. Having been inspired by these two sources which are completely different in terms of time, space and content, the writer has written a script with the format of the drama-within-the drama which is cohesive and logical in characterisation, unfolding the dramatic conflict, addressing the contemporary audience.
The stage is designed to allow the narrative to unfold in an uninterrupted manner. It captures the atmosphere of the professional theatre company. The play opens with an offstage view. An actor is preparing to act on the stage. The manager is in a tense mood. A new actor arrives to play the role of Ekalavya because the veteran actor Satyasheel has been asked to retire because he is progressively losing his eyesight. The new actor is Paritosh. Satyasheel is to give his last performance. The way Satyasheel and Paritosh interact exudes a kind of deep-rooted mutual animosity. Paritosh is, in fact, the estranged son of Satyasheel who has neglected his duty as a father. The son and father are now bitter rivals.
There are some scenes in the production which are pertinent to understand the philosophical undercurrents that run beneath the surface. One is where Satyasheel, in a frenzy, drowns a dog. Through this act the intense inner anguish of a legendary actor, stopped from acting because of his blindness and hurt because of the arrival of his substitute, is revealed. It exudes cruelty and viciousness. Another scene is where the two performers in a drunken state engage in conversation. The director has skilfully created the illusion that the hall is empty and the performers are all alone on the stage after the performance. Though the show is over, they have not changed out of their costumes. There is an atmosphere of serenity. In a tipsy mood, they talk in a light-hearted manner but raise questions about the theatre, its relation with society and its character. The contrast between this scene and that depicting the drowning of the dog has a remarkable impact on the audience.
Abhijeet Tambe’s music score and sound design are effective enough to heighten dramatic conflict and evoke the right mood. Director-writer Abhishek, a winner of various awards including The Hindu Metroplus Playwright Award and TFA for creative writing, and an alumnus of the London International School of Performing Arts, has sought to explore the expressive dimension of the stage and unify various visions into one unified vision, the deeply felt agonised world of a great artist at the hour of his swan song.
Kumud Mishra in the lead role of Satyasheel the legendary actor suddenly asked to stop acting because of his blindness, gives a powerful performance. Accustomed to the tumultuous applause while taking curtain calls, now at the time of his last performance, he fumbles and is shattered. A lyricist, music composer, actor and director, Gopal Datt creates the most creditable portrait of the manager-actor of the company. Another superbly cast actor in the role of Paritosh, the estranged son of Satyasheel, is Sandeep Shikhar.
