Disclaimer:
The following post is neither a review nor a critique since this is the first
time I ever watched a play live. I feel I’m neither an expert nor am qualified
enough to pass an opinion. I was so overwhelmed by the experience that I don’t
care if I sound biased.
Gograhanam
at Lamakaan was probably the most intriguing 45 minutes I have spent watching
something live. Now there aren’t many
performances I have seen life but I can safely say this will stand among one of
the best considering the future too. By virtue of the sheer joy and excitement
this play had given me, this ranks very high among the creative pleasures I
indulge myself.
Gograhanam
is a play written by Tanikella Bharani in 1986 and Octopus studios deserve a
huge round of applause for their decision to perform it again. At a time where
Telugu Theatre is getting fast obsolete, their faith and conviction in
performing and presenting this play to an enthusiastic audience is immensely
commendable. That is not to say that they scored only in their choice but have
backed it up with absolutely flawless performances from the entire cast. For
the entire duration of the play there was never a dull moment or a false note
in this biting satire on the atrocities our society commits against women in her
day-to-day life.
Another
specialty of Gograhanam is that by virtue of it being a street play there are
no props or set pieces with the performers and the live music setting the tone
for everything that happens on stage. Bharani’s lines in chaste Telugu are
thankfully devoid of limitations imposed by more celebrated medium like cinema
and all the actors were competent in their diction and natural in their
histrionics. The play was quite famous garnering applause from numerous
performances all over the country in its days, so to say its direction, staging
and blocking were impeccable would be to state the obvious.
Paraphrasing
the playwright’s words “While the popularity of the play is welcome, it’s
relevance even after 25 years of its conception is disappointing and ironic.” I
doubt even Shakespeare would have a hard time taking pleasure in this. I wish
this play be performed and watched more since this delivers an important
message for every one of us to learn without assuming an admonishing or a
preachy tone.
Kudos
are also in line to Lamakaan for all its support and encouragement it has
provided to the performers and their efforts to invigorate Telugu Theatre.
As a
footnote, I would like to add that during the course of the performance, there
was a loud music band celebrating a neighbor’s marriage, which could have
caused a loss of concentration to the performers. If they have felt anything,
they did not show it, for we never felt it. Having some experience in noticing
the discomfort actors face at any minor disturbance, I felt that the entire
cast has done a fantastic job to stay in the mood with all the noise around.
Bravo.
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