The Dramatic Arts : Kaleeshwarabhavanam

Kaleeshwarabhavanam, written and directed by N Ratnam, is the latest play from Koothabiran Navabarath Theaters. To make it conform to a specific genre, Kaleeshwarabhavanam can be called a thriller, but to be fair, it is much more than that. It is a thriller, family drama and a beautiful moral wrapped into one amazing package.

Kaleeshwarabhavanam triumphs in three places: The acting, the music and the lighting. While all of its other aspects are just as good, it is the combination of these three facets that make this drama a grand success.

Direction, Writing Dialogues - N Ratnam

Music - s Guhaprasath                  

Lights - Mylai babu                         

Sets - Padma stage kannan         

Make up - Perambur Kumar

Costumes - R.Sanjana   

Backstage support - R.Meera                    

Cast - N.Ratnam (Vishwanatha Iyer), R.Vignesh (Vignesh), Sujatha Dharmaraj (Panjaksharam),T.P.Sriram (Santhanam), Anuradha Kannan (Dharani), V.Radhakrishnan (CFO), R.Swaminathan (HR Manager), N.Ganesan (Sammandhi), Raghavan (Vishal), Balraman (Veeraiyan), Aishu (Aishu), Niththi (Niththi), Dharmaraj (Pichai)

Production - Koothabiran Navabharath Theaters             

What I Liked:

As I mentioned earlier, Kaleeshwarabhavanam is jam packed with amazing performances. Starting from the righteous grandfather, Vishwanathan, played by N Ratnam, to the joyous father, Santhanam, played by TP Sriram to the titular character, Vignesh, Played by Vignesh Ratnam, Kaleeshwarabhavanam showcases amazing talent on stage. The flamboyance and the restraint shown by the actors on stage were nothing short of incredible. Another character whom I liked was Panjaksharam  played bySujatha Dharmaraj.

When I spoke to Vignesh Ratnam before the play, he told me that music played a very important role in the play. He said that Kaleeshwarabhavanam could almost be considered a musical. After watching the play I cannot help but agree with him. The music by S Guhaprasath is incredible and it enhances the emotions shown by the actors on stage, almost tenfold. Shifting from happy to dramatic to thrilling music as the scenes unfolded on stage, the music complimented the play perfectly.

Another aspect of the production which led to the success of the play is the lighting. “Mylai” Babu works wonders on the lights, switching between spot and stage lights and even adding lightning effects on the go. The makeup by “Perambur” Kumar is so good that if you didn’t know N Ratnam actually has black hair, you wouldn’t be able to realize it when he is onstage.

The sets by “Padma Stage” Kannan are also really good. Especially the sets for the main scenes are expertly crafted. The costumes for the characters by R Sanjana also change to suit the scene. One small touch that I should point out; there is a scene where a character walks into a house, and it is raining outside. The umbrella he was holding and his shirt were wet. It is this sort of attention to detail that makes sure that a production is success

What Could Have Been Better:

The closer a play is to being perfect, the smaller mistakes appear even more amplified. This, almost paradoxical, principle makes sure that even the smallest of mistakes seem jarring.

Kaleeshwarabhavanam is pretty darn close to perfect, but it is unfortunate that I will have to point out certain errors. On the bright side, these aren’t logical errors which cannot be corrected rather these are technical kinks which can be ironed out.

While it will take a keen eye to notice it, in two scenes, the actors missed their dialogues. Not everyone may notice it, but veteran viewers will definitely will. Another nitpick I have is that, while in the second half the acting of Vignesh Ratnam is sublime, especially during the last scene, in the first few scenes before the interval his acting seemed a bit exaggerated. I am saying this in the best way possible though. While the exaggeration suited the character well after the scene when he goes to meet his grandfather, it is in the scenes before that, where it seems gimmicky. I felt that a bit more 

restraint would have made the character more believable.

While I know this is an error of circumstance, partly due to the audio system in the hall where this was performed, the music in the second half was a tad bit off. Not noticeably so, but since I listen to it a lot, I could identify it.

Final Thoughts:

Kaleeshwarabhavanam is a play which will keep you in the edge of your seats and at the same time teach an important moral lesson. It is quite possibly one of the best plays I have seen. If you get a chance, please do check it out.

I give Kaleeshwarabhavanam 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Kaleeshwarabhavanam will be staged at Nardhana Ghana Sabha on the 11^th and 12^th of this month. Until next time:

Peace!!!