Kartik Fine Arts hosts the Kodai Nataka Vizha which takes place annually. Started in the year 1990, it promotes new dramas and theatre. This year’s edition is currently on at Narada Gana Sabha, Alwarpet. It ends on May 3.Plays are held every evening and they are open to all. On Friday, Vivahamalai.com, written by P.Muthukumaran was staged.
It runs for two hours and focuses on two marriages. One between an engineer and a woman who supports feminism and the other between the engineer’s friend and the woman’s relative.
It talked about the different conditions put forward by women when alliances are discussed. The alliances come through via a matrimonial website, Vivahamalai.com.
There are many twists in the play.
The play was crafted very well. The audience were able to connect with the different characters of the play. It was filled with humor and the audience couldn’t stop laughing.
At the end of the 12-day drama fest, prizes are awarded to the best play, best director, best actor and best story, says the sabha secretary, R. Venkatasubramanian.
This year, the fest is dedicated to Cho Ramaswamy, the well known playwright and commentator.
The best reviews from the audience are also awarded prizes.
– Reported by Ananth Ram/ Journalism Trainee at MT
Vivahamalai.com is a well crafted play depicting the real life situation happening almost in every house at the time of finalising wedding proposals for their children. A confused state of mind amongst the parents at such times and the adamant shown by the girl a’s also the boy are suitably described. The marriage agency is a good example of how they are interlinked with the marriage hall booking, astrologer and so on as also indicating that such bureaus that still follow business ethics and exist even today
The play is a mixture of several punch dialogues and serious scenes which was well received by the audience in a befitting manner.
Yes, the play runs beyond 90 minutes and this could possibly because of the care taken by the Director on every minute detail of each and every scene? not to speak of the bike scene that reminds me of the gorgeous settings in plays of yester years staged by veteran artist RS Manohar, a pracrice very rare to be seen in the present day plays.
The acting of each and every character was superb; in fact they seemed to have engrossed with their respective roles and just performed with ease.
Music was excellent.
“More over” seems to be a passionate word to the Director and each and every character has used it at least once in the play. That apart, the play had applause of several rounds from the saba filled viewers.