A crazy route to fame

Crazy Creations' "Jurassic Baby" has taken the world of Tamil theatre by storm. KAUSALYASANTHANAM finds out the reasons behind its success.

WHEN TAMIL theatre seems to be going the way of the dinosaur, how is it that "Jurassic Baby" is doing so well? Houseful shows - even three a day - have rewarded "Crazy" Mohan's latest effort. The Crazy duo, of Mohan and his brother Balaji, have a winner on their hands and the recipe for success as usual is humour.

The theme of the play is absurd but imaginative, and may seem quite plausible in this age of genetic miracles. A young couple Mythili and Maadhu (Uma and "Crazy" Balaji) who have no children are thrilled when a Malayali vaidya ("Crazy" Mohan) comes to their aid with a herbal concoction. The baby arrives in due course. But it is much bigger than the fat, bouncing one they had hoped for. Its growth is phenomenal and within a few hours it takes on huge proportions. Horrified though she is, Mythili's maternal instincts are not quelled and she treats it like a typical new born which gives rise to some hilarious moments. Madhu is unable to shake off his disgust at the child's unnatural behaviour and appearance. But even his paternal feelings are aroused when it comes to arranging a match for the child-man. (Cheenu Mohan) Since the baby is the spit image of his uncle Cheenu who is in love with his neighbour, Janaki (Madumitha), whose father is crazy about cinema, a lot of humour is generated, some of it amusing and some inane. Mixed identities and cinematic heroics form the plank for generating laughter. The grotesque "child" is the delight of children in the audience whose sense of the ridiculous is tickled by the sight of a grown man behaving like a baby.

The Tamil theatre goer appears to revel in the portrayal of the absurd. But unless the preposterous is made believable, the idea will fall flat. It is "Crazy" Mohan's pen that manages to take the audience on a joy ride though often they have to leave their grey cells behind and forget logic and rationality. The aim of the playwright is obviously to wring humour out of every word and situation.

As can be expected, Mohan is jubilant at the runaway success of the play. "The idea of Jurassic Baby" (the title is just for impact) came to me during the staging of our play "Meesai Aanalum Manaivi" last year in the U.S. A slip of the tongue by actor Cheenu when he congratulates Madhu on becoming his father rather than a father set me wondering about a play woven around it. I also wondered whether its really splendid to be the parent of an unusual or extraordinarily gifted child - how would Yashoda have felt as the mother of a child who could kill demons and dance on the hood of a cobra? I wanted to deal with such a theme in a humorous way and "Jurassic Baby" is the result.

"With Jurassic Baby", I've succeeded in writing a play that attracts children. I've always wanted to do that. The young just love it and we have put up 50 shows in 60 days.

Mohan bristles if you point out that Tamil theatre is in the doldrums and that humour is restricted to gags and puns. "On my trip to the U.S., I saw Broadway shows and even plays by Neil Simon. I feel my plays much superior. While there is a degeneration in the quality of Hollywood films and Broadway shows which are infested with four letter words, we are still maintaining dignity and decorum. My plays offer healthy entertainment and many of my themes have anticipated those in the West such as "Mrs. Doubtfire."

Mohan cites the examples of "Meesai Analum Manaivi" which portrays a man in woman's garb and "Madhu +2" which was staged much before "Too Much."

Tamil theatre has excellent talent, he believes, and not just in the realm of humour. "Vedam Puthithu Kannan" and Bombay Chanakya write very well. It's unfortunate they are not appreciated as much as they should be."

"I'm also often asked why I don't deliver a message in my plays. I'm not a postman, I don't have to deliver messages."

He attributes his success to the fact that he grew up in a joint family, "The intensity of problems is not felt in such an environment. Moreover, the joint family is like society in microcosm and offers a fertile atmosphere for ideas and themes".

A voracious reader and a great fan of P.G. Wodehouse, Roald Dahl and O' Henry, as well as Tamil novelists Kalki and Devan, Mohan won prizes in inter-collegiate drama competitions as a student. He wrote plays for his brother Balaji to stage at college. After penning highly successful scripts for Kathadi Ramamurthy and S.Ve. Shekher, Mohan formed his own troupe Crazy Creations with his brother in 1979.

Mohan has written 25 plays, for the stage apart from applause winning scripts for television and cinema. He feels success in the theatre depends on how playwrights and troupes work together. "Cho's Viveka Fine Arts is an outstanding example of this. They have been together for 25 years. 'Crazy Creations' has also been together for a long time - 20 years," he says with pride. Considering the audience response, it seems likely that they will be around for as many years more.

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