Nine short stories by acclaimed Malayali writer Vaikom Muhammad Basheer will be staged by Chennai-based theatre group, Perch, during the week
Nine short stories by acclaimed Malayali writer Vaikom Muhammad Basheer will be staged by Chennai-based theatre group, Perch, during the week
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The late Vaikom Muhammad Basheer was known as a humanist, a freedom fighter, a novelist and a short story writer, but to his readers he will always remain the Sultan of Beypore, a title affectionately bestowed upon him by his devoted following. Basheer shunned traditional notions of grammar to give his readers a taste of Malayalam as it is spoken. The Malayali writer's acute observations about the world around him also find their way into his work.
Moonshine and Skytoffee is a blend of two of Basheer's most interesting love stories, The Love Letter and The Card-sharper's Daughter. While both stories are based on the theme of love, it is the unconventional aspect of love that Basheer prefers to delve into.
So, there is the unusual love story of Kesavan Nayar, a Hindu bank clerk and his landlord's daughter Saramma, a Christian, and then there is the tale of Sainaba, the daughter of a cardsharper, and the lovable pickpocket, Mandan Muthappa.
"The stories are not treated as separate, and the play moves seamlessly between the two narratives," explains director Rajiv Krishnan, as he talks about the format of the play.
Krishnan also discloses that Sangathi Arinhya! is the more ambitious of the two plays, with seven short stories being strung together by a character who plays Basheer.
"In the second play, it is Basheer's character who links the stories. Basheer is the witness in some stories while in others he becomes an active participant," says Krishnan.
The two plays come to Mumbai after a run of 50 shows throughout the country. The plays have also been performed in Kozhikode, where Basheer spent most of his life, to an audience that "comes prepared to be critical", according to Krishnan.
The director admits to being a little nervous about the Mumbai audience's reaction, but is confident that Basheer's writing will help connect them with audiences.
"His stories are deceptively simple, but always leave a lasting impact. We hope Mumbai will enjoy Basheer as much as we do," he says.
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