Was Oor Koodi Ther Izhu a play on religion or themed round water?

From the play Oor Koodi ther Ezhu .
| Photograph Credit score: SRINATH M

Puratchipadai Productions’ play Oor Koodi Ther Izhu (written and directed by Nandhakumar) takes its title from a well-liked Tamil saying — to get issues shifting, folks should unite. The workforce offered tales concerning the Azhagar and Madurai Meenakshi temples, and the Chithirai competition. To carry everybody collectively, with out denominational variations, King Thirumalai Nayak merged the Meenakshi wedding ceremony competition and Azhagar competition into one. Devotees of the deity Karuppan take part within the competition, as a result of Azhagar takes permission from Karuppan earlier than leaving the temple.

Using shadow puppetry within the play Oor Koodi Ther Izhu was modern.
| Photograph Credit score:
SRINATH M

Using shadow puppetry within the play was modern. The tune of the long-lasting Malayalam boat track Kuttanadan punjaiyile was used for the track Malaya Desam thottu, when thieves arrive in a ship to steal an idol. Photos and movies within the background added to the visible enchantment of the play. There was additionally a intelligent use of props. For instance, every of the actors had a blue material, which served as many issues — water, child Meenakshi and a garland. The forged (Sahana, Anthony Xavier and Nandhakumar) captured the viewers’s curiosity.

Unanswered questions

Nonetheless, one was left with some questions. The play started with the disclaimer that it was not about religion. If a playwright feels devotion shouldn’t be portrayed in a play, that’s fantastic. However you can not then have a complete narration, tongue-in-cheek although it is perhaps, a couple of temple competition and the sthalapurana of temples. If the concept was to point out togetherness throughout a competition, the theme may have been explored from a special angle. Do temple festivals foster a spirit of camaraderie? In fact, they do. However are temple festivals about religion? Most actually. Then got here the second disclaimer – it was not a ‘sangi’ play. What was the necessity to usher in politics?

Within the introduction, we had been informed that the play was about water. How typically did water function within the play? Suthapa’s penance is underneath water. Azhagar crosses the Vaigai to attend Meenakshi’s wedding ceremony. Individuals squirt water on Azhagar in the course of the competition. To assert on the premise of this, that the play is about water was a little bit of a stretch. And so, the play didn’t fairly slot in with the theme of Bhavan’s collection celebrating Mom Earth.