Coimbatore: Marking the sixth day of the Coimbatore Book Festival on July 24, "Who is Bharathi?" a fabulous drama was staged on the life history of renowned poet Bharathiyar by S P Creations from Chennai. Musical poet Ramanan produced and portrayed Bharathi in the drama.
Coimbatore: Marking the sixth day of the Coimbatore Book Festival on July 24, "Who is Bharathi?" a fabulous drama was staged on the life history of renowned poet Bharathiyar by S P Creations from Chennai. Musical poet Ramanan produced and portrayed Bharathi in the drama.
From the tragic death of Bharathi, the drama illustrated all the important events in his life from age 10. Bharathi's journey to Ettayapuram from Kasi after being invited by the King of Ettayyapuram, life at Ettayapuram, stint with Swadesamitran magazine and then his life in Chennai and Pondicherry, involvement in the freedom struggle with commitment and patriotism, meeting with national leaders, friendship with V O Chidambaram Pillai and Subramaniam Siva and their time together in prison, his relationship with his wife Chellamal and the meeting between Bharathi and Bharathidasan were all interwoven into the drama.
The scene where Bharathiar and Nivethitha Ammaiyar meet, which spurred women's liberation in his mind mesmerized the audience. Dharma Raman who played the role of Chellamal endeared hearts as she effortlessly portrayed the love she had for Bharathi, getting lost in his poetry, worried about his rebelliousness against customs and especially in the scene of living in extreme poverty, Dharma Raman excelled.
Over 30 artists performed in this musical dance drama. Bharathi's most important songs and the details such as the year of writing and background information was also mentioned during the course of the performance. Spectators were enthralled by the performance of four children to Bharathi's famous songs Kummi adi penne, Vande Mataram, Jaya Jaya Bharathi and Odi Vilayadu Paapa.
Renowned quotes by Bharathi on freedom for women, eradication of untouchability and uninhibited courage echoed through the venue. Ramanan essayed the role of Mahakavi Bharathi with the same inimitable style of the poet's grand appearance, tone of voice and fiery grace in the eyes. The audience were in continuous applause as he brilliantly sang Bharathi's songs on stage.
Hundreds of people from all age groups arrived at the venue to experience the drama. The audience were regaled with nostalgic memories when Ramanan sang Bharathi's songs. Children were introduced to the Poet Bharathi in a way that also appealed to them. The audience appealed for many such dramas to be staged in future for children to understand the charm of older generation poets.