Slaves, a new production by The Madras Players, is a translation of writer Sujatha

In a distant corner of the internet, there exists a review on Wordpress by blogger VishyTheKnight (from 2018) who calls Sujathavin Nadagangal, an 830-page collection of Tamil plays by writer Sujatha, absolutely unputdownable. 

He summarises everything he enjoys and does not in this detailed blogpost and among the first play he lists as his favourite is Adimaigal (Slaves). He notes that Sujatha, who is most known for sci-fi novels, paints interesting perspectives of his subjects despite choosing dramaturgy, a genre that he is not always known for. Vishy comments, “this play is different, because it is complex, the characters are flawed, and it is impossible to do the good-and-bad binary thing here. Sujatha is clearly breaking new ground here, at least in the Tamil theatre scene (sic).”

Interestingly, during a chat in his Venus Colony apartment, director and vocal artist PC Ramakrishna seems to share similar thoughts about the author’s ability to write characters with grey shades. “This is a story about a patriarchal tea estate owner who rules over his nephews with an iron fist. I feel like this is something people might really engage with because it talks about property disputes. What happens to the property when the patriarch falls in love? I enjoy it when people go back with strong opinions after watching a play. I am looking forward to seeing that happen again on October 24,” he says, announcing his latest production, Slaves, set to be performed by The Madras Players at Narada Gana Sabha. 

The cast involves some familiar names who have frequented Chennai’s stages and some novices including the likes of Balaji K Moorthy, S Ram, Karthik Sundar, Prasanna Ramachandran, and Anuradha Ramesh. 

Ramakrishna says that there has been a steady attempt to build a rapport on stage through rehearsals that have been spanning over two months. This vocal artist whose deep baritone has captured the imagination of several Tamil folks, has been in the theatre space for 60 years now and adds that tweaks at rehearsals are central to building a good production. It is why he invites friends and family over to watch. “It’s the feedback at this time that is crucial,” he adds.

Ramakrishna says that the inspiration to translate this play and perform it arose because of a conversation between a journalist who had recommended Sujatha as his potential subject. “I knew him in the capacity of a sci-fi author but not as a playwright. When I was recommended to read Adimaigal, I found the process of translation easy because it was already written in the format. This is different from the other plays I have dramatised like [writer] Chudamani’s work,” he says, adding that the latter was rewritten to fit a play format.

In his long career, PC Ramakrishna has also been responsible for run-away hit productions like Water, an English dramatisation of Komal Swaminathan’s Thanneer Thanneer. He has also directed Sujatha Vijayaraghavan’s Kamalakshi, a story about a devadasi dancer and the oppressive system she is part of. “I am drawn to plays that have strong women characters. It is probably because of the women in my life,” he says, adding that his mother, wife, and daughter play a pivotal role in shaping his outlook towards life. “In Slaves too, the plot takes a turn because of a woman,” he says.

Ramakrishna says that in order to write, one must consistently consume quality works. It is why he reads as extensively as he does and why he has been able to hold his own in his career working with greats including the likes of Girish Karnad. His ability to pull together an interesting cast has also contributed to his success, he says. “Everytime I read books (he reads multiple at the same time), I’m always thinking about what would make for a good play,” he says. 

What’s next? That is work-in-progress. For now though, there is Slaves. 

Catch Slaves at Narada Gana Sabha on October 24, at 6.30pm. Tickets prices start from ₹120. Book tickets at mdnd.in