Poignant tale of Tulsi Das

It was not one of the usual plays one gets to see in Chennai. It was a mono-act and a musical. And Shekhar Sen kept the audience glued to their seats, says CHITRA MAHESH.

WHEN MUSIC, words and devotion combine you have something that is striking. And it was not far from this premise on September 19 at the Music Academy when Shekhar Sen presented his version of the saint poet Sant Tulsi Das.

Chaste Hindi with a wonderful exposition of its choice visual imagery provided Hindi theatre lovers an occasion to brush up the language at its prettiest best.

Some of the passages were in the braj bhasha the language spoken in those days when poets such as Tulsi Das and Kabir espoused the cause of devotion and piety.

This was not one of the usual plays one gets to see in Chennai. In the first place it was a mono-act and a musical at that. And it is rather difficult to sustain the audience interest and the energy to hold forth in such a genre.

But Sen did it and had the audience glued to their seats till the end. The theme of devotion woven into the life of Tulsi Das had many incidents that ultimately made this saint. His love and passion for Lord Rama and his valour were brought out in the many snatches of bhajans composed by him and others. Especially poignant was the brief episode when Tulsi Das meets Kabir Das.

Tulsi Das tells him that it is a blessing to meet the man whose songs he has been singing in his poverty stricken days, and the blind bard chuckles &151; "it is good to know that other beggars sing this beggar's songs.''

Shekhar Sen with his Anup Jalota like melodious voice kept up the mood of mellow devotion right through &151; from "thumka chalata Ramchandra" to the "Hanuman Chalisa". The power of reciting the Chalisa was conveyed through an interesting episode. Tulsi Das is challenged to spend an "amavas ki raat" near the crematorium. Frightened at first, he recites the Chalisa and fear evaporates.

The message is that the recitation of Chalisa does keep all evil and ghosts away making `bhakti' an armour against anything scary.

The play did not disappoint. Taking the centrestage as Tulsi Das was Shekhar Sen, writer-director, who has done many such shows in other parts of the country.

He seemed to give his all to the character and the settings, which was simple and functional with a bit of special effects to create the ambience. The lone tulsi plant in its traditional form acted as the symbol of the poet and his relationship with Lord Rama.

Dressed in a dhoti kurta in light ochre he was able to recreate scenes with just his narration and singing.

Shekhar Sen was in Chennai for Sanskaar Events, which, as the spokesperson said, seeks to foster virtues and values in life through such programmes.

Judging by the response they seemed to have achieved at least a bit of it that day.

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