Theatre of life 

 The stage became their life and wandering, their way of being, notes Maithreyi M R as she recounts the development of 119 year old Surabi troupe, rejuvenated by the late B V Karanth 

Narada descending from the skies. Arrows flying in the air. Lamps lighting up to the touch of an arrow. A large, white key making its way across the stage, all on its own, to reach the lock on the prison door. A grotesque face in a mantrik’s den with huge, red eyes that shut and open, and a long tongue that rolls.

There was amusement, admiration and a patronising indulgence writ on the faces of the audience as they watched Chandipriya, a Telugu play by the Surabhi troupe from Andhra Pradesh. The play was part of the four-day B V Karanth National Theatre Festival that concluded in Bangalore on September 14.

This 119 year-old Surabi company theatre from Nalgonda in the Telangana belt had a reason to be a significant part of the festival. The late B V Karanth had been one of their crucial supporters, responsible for bringing Surabhi into the national limelight.

In fact, in his collection of memories and experiences -- Illiralare, Allige Hogalare (Ed and narrated by Vaidehi, Bangalore: Prism, 2003, pp 532, Rs 425) -- which was released on September 14, on the occasion of the theatre festival in Bangalore, Karanth has dedicated an entire chapter for Surabhi!

In 1996, when he first associated with the group through the National School of Drama, Karanth spent over a month teaching the cast the nuances of modern techniques while directing the play Bheeshma, a Telugu translation of the Bengali play written by Dwijendralal Roy. The play was a great hit in Delhi but in the Andhra villages, the modernity of the play failed to click with the audience. Being used to spectacle, tricks, loud colours and huge props, the village audience could not appreciate it as much as those in the cities like Delhi, recalls General Secretary of the Surabi Company and President of Sri Venkateshwara Natya Mandali, Nageshwar Rao or Babji as he is popularly called.

In his next venture with the troupe, Karanth decided to retain these traditional techniques and he only interfered with their dialogue delivery, music and such other techniques. The play chosen this time was Chandi Priya, which spoke for women’s rights and capabilities. The production-workshop was supported by Alaripu, a Delhi-based organisation.

The play was a major hit with the villagers. This was followed by Basti Devatha Yadamma, an adaptation of Bertolt Brecht’s Good Woman of Schzewan, which Karanth directed in 1998. “Unlike Maya Bazaar, a major play of Surabi, Basti... had very limited sets but it clicked very well with the villagers because of Karanth’s extraordinary music and the Telangana slang we had used in the play. 

Karanth induced a fresh life into our generations-old troupe. He did everything to bring us into the mainstream. So when his wife, director Prema Karanth, sought our participation in the festival, we were more than eager to do our bit in remembering the legend,” says Babji, a fifth generation actor. The latest entrants to the troupe, one-year-olds Lochana and Alekya, who were on stage the other day acting in Chandi Priya, belong to the seventh generation!
 
“It all began in 1885, when two brothers Vanarasa Govind Rao and Vanarasa Chinna Ramaiah got together to form a theatre group in Surabhi Reddivaripalli village in Cuddapah district. They ushered in a never-before-heard of, or imagined practice - of women donning roles in plays. “It was all in the family. The women did not have to bother about getting a bad name for acting on the stage,” says Babji. The stage became their life and wandering, their way of being.

Vanarasa Govind Rao had three sons and ten daughters. As the size of the family expanded, several sub-groups were formed, one such being Sri Venkateshwara Natya Mandali. Initially there were 50 companies, which dwindled down to 16 in 1974 and only 4 in 1982. Currently, there are five functioning across Andhra Pradesh, all under the umbrella of Surabi Nataka Kala Sangam.

Sri Venkateshwara Natya Mandali, the biggest of them all, was set up in 1937 by Govind Rao’s fifth daughter Subhadramma and her husband R Venkatrao. Today, their troupe has 62 members, with their sons Bhojaraju, Babji and Ganapathi Rao, and their families all living under the same roof. 

“We live in about 22 sheds built around the performing area. We perform on alternate days and the collections we make are equally distributed among all the members,” Babji beams proudly. As he narrates, the family gather around him. “This is Sulochana, in her II BA now. This is Pratima, who played Narada in Chandi Priya yesterday. This is Geetashri, and Lavanya, in her II inter now. This is Jayachandra, who played Kahi Raja and dhonga (thief) in Chandi Priya.

He’s in I year BCom, so also Chinna Venkat Rao. This is 9-year-old Chinmayi, 10-year-old Saiteja and 9-year-old Asha, who played the little girls yesterday. This is Swapnasubadra -- Chandi Priya -- in her MA (Economics) final year now….” Babji’s introductions take quite a while to end. “You remember that old man in the play, who kept saying “naku emi telidu”? He’s Bhojaraju, my elder brother, who is 76-years-old. The oldest member though is Venkat Rao, all of 80 and still acting. But he’s not here today.…”

With so many youngsters studying BA and MA, would they still want to come back to the family profession? “Of course. Our life began here and will continue here. We usually marry our own relatives,” the young Sulochana rushes. 

“These children go to schools and colleges during the day. Some are doing computer courses too. They perform during the night. They work very hard and their teachers are very co-operative. I wish the Andhra government does something for them. This would encourage them to pursue their studies and also continue the family profession,” hopes Babji. Right now, the Human Resource Development ministry pays salaries to 20 members of the group, thanks mainly to the efforts of two concerned individuals Garimella Ramurthy and K V Ramana. 

The changing times have brought in greater expenditure costs for the troupe. “We use the cheapest make-up material - zinc. Everything from transport to electricity has increased. But we cannot charge the villagers too much. Sometimes, we even settle for a rupee each. Only in the cities we charge about Rs 10-15,” narrates Babji.

But they never have had to fear about not having any audience. “Though we have good social plays like Devdas and Rangoon Rowdi, it’s our mythologicals that draw the largest crowd. The villagers love our special tricks and effects,” Babji quickly adds. Evidently, for the Bangalore audience so used to modern theatre, Chandi Priya did not hold the same interest. Even as the crowd clapped for all the special effects and dramatic intrigues, their sense of amusement coupled naturally with their amazement at the unusual balance of tradition and modernity.