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 Chidagni Foundation presents Mrcchakatikam Koodiyattam by G Venu At Kalakshetra, 6pm November 16, 2025 Chennai - Vinod Kumar e-mail: vkumar@me.com November 6, 2025 Chidagni Foundation presents the Chennai premiere of Sudraka's masterpiece in Guru G. Venu's Koodiyattam production of 'Mrcchakatikam' on 16th November at Bharata Kalakshetra. Sheejith and Parvathy Nambiar's dedicated endeavor to bring this timeless production to Chennai's discerning theatre lovers is remarkable. Conceived and developed under the visionary guidance of Guru G. Venu at Natanakairali, this formidable stage project evolved over four months before it reached its present stage-worthy perfection. A talented ensemble of 22 seasoned artists (on and off stage) have poured their passion and artistry into it. This monumental work found generous support from The Bhoomija Trust and Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies, whose patronage helped the production come to life, and the premiere performances at Ranga Shankara, Bengaluru, on the 1st and 2nd of July 2025, played to sold-out audiences and glowing acclaim. Now, Chennai's beloved heritage house, Sundari Silks, steps forward to bring this classic to the city and fittingly at one of its most hallowed cultural venues, the Bharata Kalakshetra Auditorium, on Sunday, 16th November. The evening promises to be a confluence of tradition, theatre, and artistic splendor, as an age-old masterpiece returns to the stage reimagined through the profound and poetic language of Koodiyattam.  Sooraj Nambiar (Charudatta) and Kapila Venu (Vasanthasena)  Pothiyil Ranjit Chakyar (Karnapooraka) Kapila Venu and Sooraj Nambiar embody the central characters of Vasantasena and Charudatta supported by a distinguished ensemble of performers who bring each role vividly to life. The cast includes Sankar Venkiteswaran as Samvahaka, Pothiyil Renjith Chakyar as Karnapooraka, Margi Sajeev Narayana Chakyar as Madhura, Margi Anjana S. Chakyar as Radhanika, Nepathya Srihari Chakyar as Sarvilaka, Kalamandalam Jishnu Pratap as Maitreya, Aran Kapila as Rohasena, and Saritha Krishnakumar as Madanika. The production's pulsating heart is strengthened by its majestic percussion ensemble, whose mastery over rhythm and sound elevates the dramatic experience to sublime heights. On the mizhavu, Kalamandalam Rajeev, Kalamandalam Hariharan, Kalamandalam Narayanan Nair, and Kalamandalam Vineesh, weave their intricate rhythms invigorate the texture of emotion and tension. They are ably complemented by Kalanilayam Unnikrishnan on the edakka, and P. Vaishakh, who enriches the musical landscape with the haunting timbre of the rare Kurumkuzhal. Adapting a classical Sanskrit play into the ancient art form of Koodiyattam is both an exhilarating artistic endeavor and an exacting cultural challenge. Rooted in tradition and layered with complex aesthetics, Koodiyattam, one of the oldest living theatre forms in the world demands an extraordinary sensitivity to rhythm, gesture and nuanced expression. When a timeless Sanskrit play is reimagined through this sacred form, it is not mere performance - it is an act of cultural translation, fidelity, and innovation. This is where the brilliance of treatment by Guru G.Venu sparkles. To adapt a Sanskrit drama for Koodiyattam means deep textual engagement. What sets Mrcchakatikam apart is not merely its plot. Unlike the divine protagonists of Kalidasa's plays or the mythic grandeur of Bhasa, Sudraka chooses to explore the social spectrum bringing into dramatic prominence not gods, sages, or celestial nymphs, but courtesans, gamblers, burglars, servants, and merchants. The result is a mosaic of urban life that feels startlingly modern in tone. Sudraka's Legacy of Mrcchakatikam is a play for all times and one of the earliest known Sanskrit plays to center around a citizen hero rather than a king or a deity. This shift in focus from the cosmic to the commoner was groundbreaking. It extended the canvas of Sanskrit theatre to include contemporary life, its social structures, injustices, and moral questions. It also stands out for its theatrical richness, and a style that balances lyricism with realism. The play's influence is not confined to the annals of classical literature. It has been staged in multiple Indian languages, translated into others, and even adapted for modern theatre. Its themes - love that transcends status, the decay of ethics in power, and the resilience of the human spirit, are perennial. In Mrcchakatikam, the humble 'clay cart' becomes a metaphor. It is the vessel that carries not only a child's plaything but the weight of society's neglected hopes, of forgotten virtues, and of silent resilience. Sudraka's play, while rooted in the world of ancient Ujjayini, offers a mirror to every age that seeks to reconcile wealth with virtue, law with justice, and power with compassion.   Guru G. Venu - Director  Margi Sajeev Narayana Chakyar (Mathura) and Shankar Venkiteswaran (Samvahaka) |
