 Sruti Bhedham
KREA, the NRI theatre group from California, US, presented a slow moving (125 minutes), but powerful, Tamil play titled 'Sruti Bedham', literally meaning 'modal shift in tonics' (micro tones) - implying in this play an attitudinal shift for the ultimate good.
Nithya, daughter of an illegitimate union, trying hard to cope with an identity crisis, resolves that she would become as world-famous as her illustrious musician-father and force him to acknowledge her publicly as his own daughter. She succeeds, eminently so. In this slow, tortuous climb upwards, her attitude undergoes a distinct, positive change and she finds herself drawn to her father more than she would care to admit. When her father suffers an incurable paralytic stroke that negates totally a possible combined stage association she was hoping for, she promises her father she would henceforth sing only in her father's name - Ilayankudi Panchapakesan. The flashback recount ends on this objective note, reflecting 'Sruti Bhedham' - the magnificent shift in obsessions.
Nithya's saree-changes reflect her changes in attitude - righteous anger to bitter helplessness, passionate resolve to succeed and eventual soulful reunion with her father on a higher plane - red to blue to white in combinations. Director Dheepa Ramanujam as Nithya acts extremely well. Even her planned hairdos reflect her slow and steady 'growth'.
Rajeev Jayaraman as the father-musician, who also undergoes a sea-change in attitudes, touches great heights as a 'paralytic' on a wheelchair. His affectionate 'strokes' on his daughter's blessed head stoke up warm appreciation in our hearts!
Mother Kalyani (Vidhya Subramaniam) is a good foil to husband and daughter. She has talent. Ambhi (Naveen Kumar Nathan), the good family friend, is a 'discovery channel' between father and daughter. He too is loaded with latent talent. The rest of the cast, about 15 in number, do their best to lift the play to higher levels.
Off-stage, back-stage artistes, prop co-ordinator, and stage-set managers deserve warm appreciation, especially make-up maestro R Sundaramurthi. Playback musicians, and accompanists score well too. The stage-technique, with three divisions, and well-focussed change-overs need special mention.
The all-too frequent kutcheri presentations serve well to highlight effective lip-synchronisations with the backstage music. It is not an easy task. The play's inherent message development depends largely on these make-shift concerts. Playwright Anand Raghav (his first short story was published in October 2000 in Ananda Vikatan Deepavali number) has come a long way since. 'Sruti Bhedham' is his third brilliant play for
KREA.
Just one punchline, please. US Tamil stage teaches Chennai Tamil stage a few lessons and takes back a few lessons as well. Good for both. Let us shake hands on that modal shift for objective good!
R Srinivasan
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