Saturday, March 15, 2008

Mukhyamantri @ Rangashankara

Mukhyamantri @ Rangashankara

Mukhyamantri – the play which catapulted Chandru into stardom and because of which he even got his name Mukhyamantri Chandru was staged at Rangashankara by Kalagangotri troupe on 11th and 12th of March 2008 as a part of the the 38th year completion of Kalagangotri.

The play “Mukhyamantri” has been translated in Kannada by T.S. Lohitashwa from Hindi written by Ranjit Kapoor and it has been directed by Dr.B.V. Rajaram.

The play is a political intrigue, highlighting the strategies employed by the Chief Minister to win back confidence within 48 hours. The play begins with turmoil in the political circles of Udayanchala state. The Chief Minister Krishna Dwayapayana Kaushal (Mukhyamantri Chandru) loses the confidence of his party, at the end of his five-year term. He is, however, retained as the caretaker Chief Minister for a period of 48 hours, after which voting in the next elections begins. From the start, it is clear that Sudharshan Dubey, the president of the party, plots to overthrow Kaushal and become the next Chief Minister. But not wanting to give up, Kaushal launches a series of well-planned schemes to hold on to power. How he succeeds in his plans and in the process how his personal life is also affected is interesting to watch on stage.

A great performance by Mukhyamantri Chandru is what we have to look out for. He has played the character since 1980 when the play was initially staged and since then it has been staged more than 400 times. No doubt that he proves his mettle as the plotter and winner. He completely and constantly hovers in our mind as well as on stage during the two hour play and we will be left with no words but to appreciate his caliber as an actor. Bhargavi Narayan as the chief-minister’s wife impresses. All the other actors play their role well. Since it is packed with lots of characters, I find it difficult to mention everyone here.

Great adaptation for stage by B V Rajaram. Don’t miss it if you want to know the behind the scenes activities of politics and don’t be surprised if you find the proceedings similar to what is prevalent in present day politics also.

2 comments:

ಗುರುರಾಜ said...

ee nataka nodbeku..

Abhishek said...

BAD REVIEW! as you dint call me to the PLAY ! :D
I TO WANT TO WATCH THIS !!!!!