The iconic Kannada play ‘Mukhyamantri’ is steaming towards a Guinness World Record.
Critics are yet to conclude if the play’s longevity is due to the rapid degradation of politics or the increasing influence of theatre on the current generation.
Nevertheless, ‘Mukhyamantri’, the timeless satire, is going strong even after 40 years. The theatre group Kalagangotri is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The team hopes to set a record for an actor (Mukhyamantri Chandru) enacting a titular role for the most number of times (close to 750) and a theatre group staging the same play for the longest duration (40 years).
Chandru and director B V Rajaram are marking the 75th anniversary of Indian Independence by staging a brand new play ‘Mathe Mukhyamantri’ (‘Mukhyamantri Again’), retaining the basic premise but tweaking the plot with more contemporary elements.
Chandru, the heart and soul of ‘Mukhyamantri’, and Rajaram, the motor behind most of Kalagangotri’s productions, look back at their journey and recall some unforgettable moments in an interview with Showtime.
Excerpts:
Why is the play relevant to this day?
Rajaram: It is the plot, and the title, definitely. Who doesn’t want to talk about politics in India? Right from tender coconut sellers to CEOs of top MNCs indulge in it. Our politicians and their nauseating politics provide us fodder to keep the factory running. So, every time we stage the play someone somewhere interprets it in his or her own way. Thus the play remains contemporary and dynamic.
Chandru: Not just politics, but the degradation of politics over the ages has helped the play become popular. Devaluation of some of our most cherished values, like the Gandhi and ‘Lohia tathvas’ (ideologies), has angered many generations. When we highlight them on the stage, it connects well with the audience.
How do you explain the play’s uniqueness?
Rajaram: We did not alter the original plot but kept changing the scenarios according to the changing times. The sets and costumes remained the same. We made use of every square inch of the stage so that multiple scenes could be enacted at the same time. The actors remained the same, in the initial years at least.
Chandru: It is the simple and straightforward format which connects well with the audience. Can you imagine a play without song and dance becoming so popular? Instead, we gave the audience something they had heard of. In the play, they got to see their Mukhyamantri scratching his leg or dozing off. Or they could even smell the Mukhyamantri’s dinner (rice and sambar).
Tell us some of the interesting anecdotes around the play
Rajaram: The only time we had to cancel a show was when Chandru could not arrive due to assembly elections. The organiser suffered losses. So we planned another show, but that too got cancelled due to thunderstorms. The organiser suffered more losses. Sadly, he passed away soon after.
Chandru: There are many. One particular incident was really hilarious. We were once forced to travel in a lorry carrying liquor. In those days, liquor was transported in huge barrels with their lids not always airtight.
With the vehicle’s movement, liquor used to spill out and trickle down to us. The trickle became a torrent as the road got worse. By the time we reached our destination, we were drenched in alcohol. The organisers thought we were drunk. Finally, we had to call the driver to explain what had happened.