The Kannada play Sahebaru Baruttare, which is a satirical take on the raging administrative, social and economic upheaval, is drawing the attention of theatre enthusiasts by the hordes — all thanks to the sharp portrayal of existing evils in the system, by employing a far-sighted vision and light-hearted narrative. As the third screening of the drama, this year, is all set to be staged this week, we get chatty with the team.
“The age-old classic comes with a universal truth: how corruption was existent during the pre-historic times, and shall continue as long as mankind inhabits earth. Set against a rural backdrop, the play highlights how a bunch of deceitful administrative officials are duped into believing that a young tourist is a central government inspector. The misunderstanding gives the play an interesting angle as these village men go to a large extent to please, bribe and shower the young tourist in hopes of benefits. With the young chap and his side-kick all game to play along, myriad shades of the innate human psychology also gets highlighted,” shares Vinay Shastry, director and one of the protagonists behind the play.
An adaptation of the Russian classic, The Government Inspector by Nikolai Gogol, the play highlights the viscous cycle of lying. While the theme hasn’t been tampered with, an element of realism has been brought to the fore, through the drama. “We’ve included certain dialogues to make it relatable to the audiences of today,” adds Vinay.
Staged by 22 actors who moonlight their love for theatre with 9-5s, the play is open to anyone above the age of 18. “Theatre has always been used as a medium of education and entertainment. The play hopes to give either of the two to the audience about issues pertinent to today’s societal woes,” reveals Nithya J Rao, one of the main actors. Speaking about her role in the play, she opines, “my character behaves like a dull guy in nature, when compared to the others, as I play the role of a Rotarian member in a small city. The character has a partner who resembles his role. The two of them are corrupt and spread news without verifying its credibility.”
After the stupendous response at their first two screenings, the team is hopeful about it faring well with namooru’s theatre aficionados yet again. “Perhaps, the value of the play lies in the introspection the audience can do about their own hypocrisies, laugh at them and choose to lead better lives. We’ve always managed to build a connect with our viewers, and I hope it’s no different this time around. The play addresses a number of issues such as corruption, jumping to conclusion, prejudgment and misunderstanding. That married with dialogues and other elements to make you laugh out loud!,” concludes Vinay Prasad one of the actors.
Sahebaru Baruttare will be staged at Ranga Shankara on April 5 at 7.30 pm
