Epics in a different light

IN CHENNAI Kalai Kuzhu's ``Upakathai'', writer-director Pralayan selects sub-plots from the epics and turns his critical gaze on them. Threaded together in this revolutionary attempt, that combines music, dance and drama, are episodes from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata as well as the story of the court dancer Anarkali. What happens when losers tell their tales? What perspectives emerge when the flashlight is turned on events we unquestioningly accept as the truth? Could the truth have been distorted to perpetuate caste-based oppression and occupation- based discrimination? Could it be that our epics too have been used as tools to enforce the divisions of a deeply hierarchical society where the tribals, the untouchables, the ``low born'' and women are forever put down and subjugated? This is certainly an interesting discourse and the Kamarajar Arangam was packed to capacity to see how Pralayan would put his arguments across.

The play opens with Ekalaivan, the prince of the Nishadas, in playful pursuit of the girl Vanya in the forest which is their home. This is Nature, beautiful and unspoiled, and the tribals with their own set of values and laws safeguard the ecology and balance. Strict rules govern their hunting code. Old, sick and pregnant animals are not targeted by their arrows; they hunt not wantonly but only for their own survival and sustenance. Into this Eden come the princes of Hastinapur, the ``other'' who hunt indiscriminately and whose ways are strange and alien.

To teach the arrogant Arjuna a lesson, Ekalaivan lets fly a string of arrows at the fierce dog set loose on him by the Pandava prince. It whimpers and flees, its mouth skilfully sealed by the ace tribal archer. Drona's contemptuous reference to his caste and his attack on Ekalaivan bring all the other tribals to his aid. Drona orders Arjuna to cut off Ekalaivan's thumb and he submits to this outrage to save his clan from being attacked.

``You've got the story wrong,'' interjects the hearer. ``No, it has been distorted by those who want to perpetuate the caste and class hierarchy,'' saya Ekalaivan. ``Why should Drona be considered my mentor? It is he who learnt archery from us as we are experts in the field.''

Pralayan's arrow goes home - this is interpretation of the epics in a bold and novel way. Ekalaivan turns narrator and the audience willing listeners to Pralayan's view of our epics and legends. ``I'm not Vyasa to tell you what you want to hear. Now let me turn to Valmiki'', he says. And we enter Rama Rajya, an ideal realm where inter-caste marriage does not take place and each rigidly follows his own hereditary calling. Except for Sambugan, a Sudra who dares learn the Vedas. Rama's ministers persuade the king to exterminate him as he violates the traditional codes of society. Rama beheads Sambugan and the status quo is restored to their relief.

From the distant past, we leap into contemporary society through Ekalaivan's help, a rather forced leap. Through the tale of the cowherd who goes to school, the deficiencies of the present education system that crams children with textbook based knowledge and ignores their natural gifts are put across. Though the episode is dealt with in a humorous way, it scores a serious point about prejudices regarding occupation and the insensitive attitude of teachers.

We move to Akbar's court where the Brahmins and high born nobles scheme to have the low born court dancer Anarkali entombed alive lest she should become Empress of Hindustan.

The most graphic description is reserved for the story of Renuka, the wife of Sage Jamadagni which helps take forward the arguments for both caste based and gender based discrimination. The chaste Renuka who dared look at a flying Gandharva is ordered to be beheaded by her husband. Parasurama obeys his father but on being granted a boon by him, requests that his mother be restored to life. Finding only the body of a low caste woman, Parasurama fixes his mother's head to it. Renuka is appalled and expresses her sense of outrage at the act. As also her pain and anger at having been brought back to life to toil for her husband and son - to fetch water, to cook and clean. She is the representative voice of all women for all time.

The haunting lament ``Ae le lo'' that expresses the anguish of victims through the aeons and links the fate of the oppressed was interposed at suitable points in the narration emphasising the tragic overtones of each story. The live music by Rajarajeswari and the movements and choreography heightened the folk element. The sets by M. Natesh were imaginatively conceived.

The high platform at the centre made possible two levels of action and the demarcation of societal roles. It became the throne of kings, the podium of the teacher and the ashram of the sage. It differentiated the high and the low, the ruler and the ruled, the tyrant and the victim, the teacher and the taught.

The play needed fine-tuning at some points and was too long. Often the voices did not carry as is necessary in such a huge auditorium. The power of suggestion was lacking at a few places - the way the severed head was waved around reminded one of Madame Tussaud's Chamber of Horrors. Unpleasant too was Renuka's hopeless flight from her murderous son.

While Ashok as Ekalaivan, Chandra as Renukambal and Kalaiyappu as Vellaichamy were cast well, the gaunt Rama shakes his head too often. Gauntness is the drawback of Anarkali too, especially difficult to reconcile to after the panegyric to her charms.

The propaganda at the end was blatant with a sermon being delivered on caste and class inequalities and how they should be eradicated - what then was the nearly three hour play about? Overall, ``Upakathai'', a landmark production of the Chennai Kalai Kuzhu, had the audience riveted. One may not agree with all the arguments put forward by Pralayan. But one had to admire the manner in which he had presented them making this production a significant step forward in Tamil theatre.

The production could not have been timed better for voices across the country are now being raised to include caste as an issue in the United Nations World Conference on xenophobia and racism to be held in South Africa in September this year.

KAUSALYA SANTHANAM

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