Thespian S Shivpprasadh talks about the diverse characters he has donned

An actor and director in his own right, dapper S Shivpprasadh prefers to be known as the bearer of the legacy of his uncle, Nataka Kavalar RS Manohar. After his demise in 2006, Shiv, as he is known in the world of Tamil stage, shares that an inner voice told him that the onus was on him to carry on the great work of an actordirector.

The impact of Shiv in Tamil, Malayalam and English plays, with the freedom and guile of a racing horse who had found its moorings, is profound. Donning different attires — be it a freedom fighter or a Vallalar — harping on the values and virtues of human life, Shiv has always stood tall. He had been greatly influenced by Manohar’s plays, which he used to watch from the box office seat of the stage.

Playing the historical character of Chanakya, a favourite play of Manohar, Shiv vividly brought out the shrewd acumen of the character, underscoring the message that in a mind game, the cards had to be played close to the chest. Never reveal your plans, was the message.

This masterly act prompted thespian cine actor Sivakumar to draw a parallel between Manohar and Shiv and the requisite punches in the voice modulation. Veteran dramatist MB Moorthy echoed the same feelings. When he closed his eyes and listened to the dialogues, he only saw Manohar in the all-important execution act.

Conferred with the Nataka Kala Jothi for playing the ruthless politician Neelamegham character in the social masterpiece Tharaiye Meyl Piraka Vaiethan crafted by his daughter Sruuthi, Shiv saw it as a magnum opus where he saw his work getting the due award.

Running a drama troupe, Nataka Kavalar Chemal RS Manohar’s NXGs (Next Generation) as his sole proprietary concern, Shiv is hardpressed to keep going. He says, “Having retained the historic sets of my uncle, there is a duty-bound conscience to keep going. My daughter Sruuthi is a pillar of support and the involvement of like-minded artistes in the troupe has been the bottom line of the success story. Much like Manohar, our plays do not compromise on anything — be it the lavish sets, costumes and in rendering the perfection where the heart is on the sleeve when the dialogues pierce the walls of the auditorium.”

Lessons from a legend

Right from a young age, Shiv grew up listening to pristine senthamizh dialogue delivery, music rehearsals, seeing stage scene backdrops painting, and glittering costumes stitching. Manohar was enough to point out the inadvertent errors which crept in the rehearsals.

Shiv recalls, “Manohar will leave nothing to chance in the way he presented the facts. For him, negative characters gave the avenues to dwell on the importance of the character concerned. Ravana may be evil in the eyes of the common man but Manohar substantiated the character with the necessary inputs to stand tall to underplay his characters. That had been an early lesson which had been faithfully followed till now. The magical line was to give room for the others but never forget to charge when it matters. Having played all the pivotal characters right from Dronar to Vallalar, the dialogues keep playing in my mind long after the play is over."

Shiv’s experience in school dramas came in handy while producing a TV serial Naragusaran where he played the titular role to the letter. “It was a character so effortlessly dished out by Manohar and the popularity could be gauged by the number of shows, across the shores too. Playing alongside the likes of KR Vijaya (as Bhooma Devi), Heron Ramaswamy (as Sukrachariyar), and Madurai TN Seshagopalan (as Maha Vishnu), it was a monumental effort to have kept pace with the brand names. The media lost no time to appreciate the effort behind and the fact of being the only play from the 31 of Manohar, to have been serialised on television. It was my way of showing gratitude to a legend and saw my act as being blessed to do so,” he shares.

On how the stage beckoned him in the early years when he was undecided on his career lines, Shiv says it was in deference to the wishes of Manohar. He continues, “My father had been a successful Malayalam film producer and wished that I followed in his footsteps. But my heart was on stage, bowled over by the meticulous ways in which the whole act of a play was gone through before the inauguration. From bits and pieces, I slowly blossomed as an actor who could singlehandedly carry the play on his shoulders. Confidence was the key but inspiration was the major factor, which was never in short supply from the seniors.”

Another favourite play of Manohar was Maalikafoor which was staged by Shiv, on the 99th death anniversary of the legend. Interestingly, the play which had its inaugural run in 1965 was staged over 400 times.

Playing the titular character, Shiv lived up to the billing where he demonstrated the stature of an individual, seen as an outrageous thief by many or an eunuch slave general of the Delhi Sultanate ruler, Alauddin Khalji.

Awards from Kartik Fine Arts, Mylapore Academy, Bharatanjali, and a few others, had been good enough to pump his adrenaline. It does motivate Shiv in his goal of taking the legacy forward. He will be happy if his efforts motivate the younger generation to take the plunge in theatre. The happy augury for him is in theatre coming back to its glory with the involvement of youth not only from Chennai but also from Bengaluru, Vellore, and Puducherry, especially from the IT sector joining their drama troupe.

As a parting shot, Shiv says he will treasure the golden moments of reviving the enticing plays of Manohar and striking the right balance with the new ones. “The Carnatic world is a treasure where the greatness of the worthies has to be showcased with revered respect. Working on a few projects and the idea is to bring them to light one by one. All I wish is to get the strength from the Almighty to go with the wishes of my countless admirers,” he winds up.