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The Power Struggle
 Kartik fine Arts’ 15th
Kodai Nataka Vizha- 2004 (their annual serial 9-day summer drama festival) featured nine new plays by nine dramatic troupes at the
Mylapore Fine Arts Club auditorium between Saturday, April 24 and Sunday, May 2, 2004, in association with
BSNL, Tamil Nadu Telecom Circle.
Reviewed below is the play ‘Vegam’ (Speed) staged by Kalavagini which highlighted, particularly, the ubiquitous, perennial problem posed by unbridgeable generation-gaps, the struggle between crabbed, domineering old age and callow, demanding, dynamic but
inexperienced youth.
Grandpa Sundaresan (AVC Mouli), a sacrificing widower, dominates his family of four- himself, his son Vasu (producer
V H Balu), daughter-in-law asthmatic Janaki (Brinda) and computer whizkid grandson Sridhar (Venkararaghavan) to tyrannical, dictatorial levels. The grandson rebels, understandably- such is his modern age and culture. Clashes get aplenty. Family friend, ‘No problem’ Narayanan (SBI Murali), who has learnt to grow old gracefully, even if meekly, tries his best to effect reasonable reconciliation, ineffectively, of course. The clashes mirror middle-class egocentric struggles.
Eventually, light dawns on each generation which all realise that the fact of life is, generation-gaps will continue with successive generations and with roles reversed. One has to cultivate and improve levels of tolerance. There must be generation co-operation. Experience must be respected so long it is not violently thrust down the throat. Inexperience must be suitably counselled and guided gently. Give-and-take attitudes must be generated more perceptively.
The play is a true-to-life presentation reflecting senior-junior-middle class conflicts graphically and identifies our own families on the stage. The son becomes a father tomorrow, today’s daughter-in-law is tomorrow’s mother-in-law, the father, a grand father…..Same problems, only the cast changes!
The insecurity complex, the heat-of-the moment outbursts, the recriminations, the threatened loss of importance as the head of the family, is the hub of the power-problem. The entire ‘dramatis personae’ portrayed their assigned roles remarkably well. Special marks for Grandpa Sundaresan and daughter-in-law Janaki (may her asthma live long!) earn top honours. Her characterization is, well, just superb. The whole play reflects perfect team-work in depicting, successfully, the modern nuclear family.
S L Naanu’s story, dialogues and direction deserve warm appreciation. The title 'Vegam'’, however is not a perfect fit!
R Srinivasan
Ph: 24355576
Mail to : annie_thomaz@yahoo.co.in
Published on 13th
May, 2004
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