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Indian Experience | Santhosh Chandran


INDIAN playwright Asif Currimbhoy’s ‘The Dumb Dancer’ — a highly acclaimed psychological play — is an all-time inspiration for theatre artistes all over India. The play deals with human emotions, fantasy, reality, schizophrenia, identity crisis, and love and revenge.
It was a big challenge for Doha artistes when the play was recently staged in Malayalam, titled ‘Mookanarthakan’, by Remembrance Theatre, a group of theatre activists, in association with Thirumuttam, a sociocultural organisation.
Directed by Sasidharan Naduvil, the play has been widely appreciated. It has won its director high praise from theatre critics at leading festivals all across India.
As a self-taught village theatre activist, Naduvil was always keen to adapt India’s deep rooted folk traditions and classical art forms into his plays.
The play revolves around a Kathakali — an Indian classical dance drama — actor (Krishnanunny), who identifies himself with Bhima (a character in the Indian epic Mahabharata) with deep obsession, even to the extent of forgetting his own identity in this world. He gradually turns insane and has to be admitted into a mental asylum.
Prema (Aarathi), the psychiatrist who treats him, becomes so involved with his problem that, instead of curing him, she herself goes insane. While treating him, she gradually starts identifying herself with Draupadi, the beloved wife of Bhima and slowly goes insane. The play begins with a scene in the operation theatre of a mental asylum, where Prema reveals the illness of Bhima and how he identifies with the mythological character.
Prema’s fascination for Bhima during treatment grows stronger and stronger and she slowly starts identifying herself with Draupadi. But this imaginary relationship is ‘threatened’ by the appearance of Shakuntala, a childhood friend of Bhima. Prema feels jealous and kills Shakuntala.
The drama symbolically displays the crucial struggle between the real self and the self that is projected and takes the audience into the depths of the functioning of the human mind.
Talking to Qatar Tribune, Krishnanunny, himself a Kahthakali dancer, who trained the actors for the play, said, “Shortage of trained actors is big challenge in Doha. We presented the play with many limitations, including the lack of an ideal stage, mechanism and equipment for proper lighting and costumes.” Associate Director of the play P Krishnunny, who also appeared as Bhima and Kathakali dancer in the play, has proved his acting prowess at many theatre festivals in India.
Aarathi Prajeeth, the budding actress in the role of Draupadi and Dr Prema, played a vital role in keeping viewers engrossed in the play from start to finish.
Other cast members included Niji Padma Gosh, Basheer Kecheri, Chithra Sathyanath, Anu Sreejith, Devanand, Adith S Dev, Sreejith, Anand and Rajesh Radhakrishnan.
The music was composed by Jijoy PR, Prajeeth Ramakrishnan, Saju and Vinod.
The others who worked behind the curtains were Shaji (lights) and Vinayan Beypore (art). Abhilash, Sunil and Kamal were the coordinators of the drama.
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08/05/2017
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