The world and this life is a story. Within it, our everyday routine is another story; our emotions, struggles and personas have their own stories. The universe is filled with tales! What it needs are good storytellers. While there is no denying that the art of storytelling and the number of storytellers have seen a rise, the truth is, we all need fresh presentations and perspectives. Tapping on this urge, Thetarekaran is back with Kadhaigal Kaanalam 2.0 with six new captivating stories and versatile storytellers; the immersive show promising to take you on a journey across diverse landscapes.
Sabarivas from Theatrekaran says that the group thought ‘what if the character inside the story comes out and performs?’ “So the narrator here is going to be doing the job of narrating the story, as well as playing the antagonists and protagonists. Basically, this person plays all the characters in a particular story,” Sabarivas tells us, adding, “He/she not only brings everything that’s happening in the story in front of you, they enact the episodes as well.”
The first artiste is Pravin Kumar, who talks about his father. The story is a combination of facts and fiction. “Pravin’s father went to jail… he was there for 28 days. In his story, Pravin brings out his curiosity about what happened in those 28 days inside the prison. His father gets furious whenever the topic is broached. So, Pravin has never got those answers, and now he is delving into the happenings in his own way through the storytelling. What happened to his father? Why did he go to jail? All of that…” Sabarivas informs.
The next story is by Roshan VG, whose mother passed away due to cancer. With his story, Roshan brings out the love between his mother and him, and what transpired in the last days of his mother.
Then there is a fictional story by Divagar Ravi. He will be playing an Army man. Namrita Kalai’s story on the other hand is about the Northeastern part of India. “She plays a girl from Assam talking about how people are suffering there, and how they are treated when they go to other parts of the country,” Sabari shares.
Vijay Krishnan’s piece is an all out comedy. He’s going to talk about how he wanted to impress a girl by writing a letter. It is a piece of fiction that will leave the audience in splits.
Raghu Raman’s piece is again a love story. But he’s going to talk metaphorically, questioning: Will society ever accept a clash in the socio-economic status between a couple?
Sabarivas says, “The idea to do this kind of storytelling was conceived by Raghavendr Siva and me (founders of Theatrekaran). It was an idea for World Theatre Day in 2019. We wanted to do something more than just narrate a story; we wanted to get the audience to visualise it. I am glad we have been able to do that. From three stories in 2019, to six different stories now, we are only looking to include more in our next show.”
Tickets at Rs 300
December 16 & 17,
5 pm & 7.30 pm.
At IDAM - The Art & Cultural Space, Kodambakkam.
Email: rupam@newindianexpress.com
X: @rupsjain