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Homecoming:AtributetoTagore
PadmaJayaraj,Thrissur
email:padmajayaraj@gmail.com
Photos:ManojPuranattukara

September28,2010

Indiacelebratesthe150thbirthanniversaryofRabindranathTagore,thefirstAsianNobelLaureate,andthe50thanniversaryof'Geethanjali'thatwonhimthe
prize.OfthemanytitansthatbuiltmodernIndia,TagorewastheonepersonwhohasknownthesoulofIndia,palpableinnatureandamongthefolk.
Primarilyamystic,Tagorestoodfortheweakmarginalizedbythemainstream.Humanismwashisphilosophy.Tagore'sinterestindramastartedinhisyouth.
Hetranslated,scripted,directed,andacted.Poeticdramaswheremusicanddanceplayedmajorroleswerehisgifts.Manyofhisshortstoriesbecameplays
andfilmslater.

TheChildren'sTheatrewingofRangachethanachosetopaytheirtributetoTagorebystaging'Homecoming'basedononeof
hisstories.RangachethanaisatheatregroupinThrissur,Kerala,launchedbyProfGSankaraPillai,thefatherofmodern
Malayalamtheatre.Sinceitsinception(1980),ithaschurnedout86children'splays,apartfromitsotheractivities.Acentre
ofgrassrootactivityintheatre,itkeepsitsfootfirminsocialcommitments.Hereisaschoolwherelearningisdifferent.
Thishasremainedacentrefordiscoveringtalentintheatre,andinculcatingfreedom,disciplineandthejoyoflearning.
Rubbishingtheurbanruraldivide,herechildrenofallsectionsmeetandparticipateinartisticendeavorswithasenseof
sharing.

KVGanesh,theartisticdirectorofRangachethana,hastakenhisgroupstomanyastage:regional,national,and
international.Hehascateredtotheneedsofchildrenfrommarginalizedsegments.ChildrenfromtheoutskirtsofThrissur
havebeengatheringherefortwoworkshopsayear.ThisisthesecondtimethatGaneshtakeshisgrouptoDelhifora
dramafestival.'Homecoming',selectedatstatelevel,willbestagedinNSD,Delhi,onOctober4,2010.

Veettilekku,aMalayalamdramabasedonTagore'sstory'Homecoming,'illustrateshowhisthemesareeternalyet,modern.
Theplayisasensitiveportrayalofavillageboyinurbansetting.Nurturedbyruralethosamidstbirds,animalsandhumans
inanaturalterrain,Pathikrisestobetheringleaderamongvillageurchins.Butsiblingrivalryhaspushedhimtothewrong
place.ItwasduringasulkingmoodthathisunclefromKolkatacomestovisitthefamilyofhissister.Tohelphissister,heofferstotakePathiktothecity.
Pathikisoverjoyed,excitedbytheprospectsoftravelandbythecuriositytoexploreunknownhorizons.Hegiftshistreasure(akite,afishingrodand
marbles)tohisyoungerbrother.Hebidsfarewelltothegoatsandlooksforwardtolifeinanotherplace.Ajourneybytrainisanothertreatforhim.However,
inthenextscenewhenthecityscapeemerges,lifeforhimisdifferentlycast.Comingfromacultureofinclusiveness,theboyencountersalienation.Unableto
copewiththecallouschange,unabletoendurethepainofbeinganoutsider,hepinesforhome.Unabletowaitanymoreherunsaway.Beforehismother
couldsavehim,hecollapses
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Theplayopenswithdawn,softredstreakslightingthedaywakeupcallsstirringlife.Slowly,thesoftreddishlightmeltsintogoldensunlight.Riveremerges
symbolicallyasadancinggirlwithpaperboatsinherhands.Nostalgiasetsin.AndthespiritofTagore,thepoetsurgeswithechoesfromhispoems.Soon
riverrecedesintothebackgroundandagroupofnaughtychildrenplayawildgame.ThetopographysuitstheruralatmosphereofwaterloggedKeralaand
Bengal.

TheplayisacleveramalgamationoftheMalayaliandBengalicultures.Costumeisusedtoencodetheculturalsigns.Stagepropscreatetheruralandthe
urbanlandscapes.Andbeyondsuchsuperficialdifferences,thedramacomesaliveonahumanplane.Loveemanatesfromloveofland,ofnature,ofbirds
andanimals.Seasonsbloomandfade,asdancinggirlscarryingpropsoftreesandflowerscomeandgo.Theirswayingmovementsrecreatethejoyofa
nostalgicchildhood.Personificationsbecomecharacterstheymergeandmeltintheplot.
Theruralsceneswithitsriverandtrees,wherebirds,animals,andhumanssharingspaceisjuxtaposedwiththeurbanhomethatdrivesawayawandering
mongrel.Thefeelingofbeinganoutsider,therootcauseofhumantragedy,comesintofocus.Repetitionisadeviceusedtohighlightcontradictions.By
repetition,thepicturebecomesetchedasasymbol.Stagepropsareeffectivelyusedtocomplementthetheme.Andmaskedfiguresstandforfaceless
crowds,memoriesandfantasies.

Thetrainjourneyisyetanothermemorablescenewheretheeffectiveuseofpropswithproperlightingandsoundgivesthepictureofabusycentralstation.
Thesurprisesofachildexperiencingarailjourneyarebeautifullypictured.Thetechniqueofjuxtapositionservestoputtheslow,dancingmovementsofrural
life,sidebysidewiththefastmovingworldofmachines.Themonotonousindoorgameschildrenplayherecontrastswiththewildgameontheriverbank,
pushingsomeone'sboatintowatersjustforfun.Thelovelessspacecurbstheexuberanceofhumanspirit.Theboyfromthevillagepinesforhomerunsaway
fromaninhumanabode.Hestartshishomewardjourneyalone.itishissoulthatreacheshome.Theplayisametaphoroftoday'surbanchildhoodset
againstitstragicloss.Poetically,theplayisasearchtoknow"whatishomeandwhereishome."Enactedbyagroupofchildrenunder12,theplayisa
realisticrepresentationofanidealdream.

Thesummercampsforchildrenhereisaperiodoffunfilledlearningexperiencefordaysonend.Childrenfromdifferentsectionsmeetasfriends.Theyshare
allaspectsoftheatrethatgointothemakingofaplay.Theyunderstandsharingandteamworkasvaluesthatthepursuitofexcellencecanbeagoalthat
cooperationispositiveandcompetitiondoesnotreallyhelp."Evenifnoneofthemtaketheatreastheirprofession,passionforartswillremaindormantin
them.Andthesedayswillremainanoasisofpositivevaluesthatshapetheiradulthood,"saidatheatrebuff.Theactivitieshereaddresstheinnateartistina
child.Asgrassrootexperiencesinlife,hereissomethingthatmakes"theChild,thefatheroftheMan."

PadmaJayarajisafreelancewriterandaregularcontributortowww.narthaki.com