We all fondly remember reading the simple stories of Swaminathan in the charming town of Malgudi.
RK Narayan’s work is seminal in the world of Indian literature and has had a lasting impact on readers, including Ananthakrishnan Narasimhan from the city-based theatre group Crea-Shakthi, who has adapted his stories in the upcoming play, Journey into Malgudi.
“I read Swami and Friends when I was about seven and fell in love with its rustic appeal. We all grew up on his work and I always wanted to bring it to stage. This is what made me script the stories and led to the conception of the play,” says the director.
The play is told by two narrators who string the tales together — a pregnant lady who is visiting the town and a coolie whom she meets at the railway station.
The stories used in the play are Narayan’s popular works such as Father’s Help, Fellow Feeling, Iswaran, The Watchman and more. Familiar characters such as Talkative Man and the budding cricketers from Albert Mission and, of course, Swaminathan himself, all make an appearance.
Crea-Sakthi also got in touch with the great granddaughter of RK Narayan for the rights to his works. “I realised she lived just a few streets away from me in Chennai. We got permission from his family and the author’s estate so this is an official adaptation,” Ananthakrishnan states.
Style sheet
While the set is minimal, the script includes traditional narrative techniques that the group is trained in.
“The Parai style of narration, for example, is a traditional form from Tamil Nadu that uses a drum and a beating rhythm,” he explains, adding, “While we have not used the same drum, we have incorporated the rhythm and beat in the narration.”
Cast member Nivash Gopalaswamy stayed in villages in Tamil Nadu to learn the art. Another segment of the play also uses the Therukootthu style of narration, which has a sutradhar and is interactive. It incorporates song and dance in the performance.
While the creation of the play was a satisfying creative endeavour, Ananthakrishnan tells us that
there were some challenges in adapting the written word to the stage. He feels that one of the strongest elements in RK Narayan’s stories is his humour, and translating that to a script was not easy.
Having said that, the author’s descriptive imagery and strong characterisation shine through in the production.
August 25, 7.30 pm. At Museum Theatre. Tickets from `150 on in.bookmyshow.com
anagha@newindianexpress.com
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