The tale behind ’Surukku Pai’

Koothabiran Navabharath Theatres presented a social drama “ Surukku Pai” ( small pouch or bag with a string), on the fourth day of the 52nd Tamil Isai music festival at Raja Muthiah Mandram.

The story was penned by Rathnam Koothapiran and directed by Vignesh Ratnam.

The story is about a Surukku Pai, which carried a ring and a small snuff box, being stolen by the grandson from his grand mother.

The grandson stole the same out of curiosity as to the contents , which the grand mother refused to divulge. The grandson goes to Mumbai with the bag.

The train got stuck at Mantralayam, famous riverside (Thungabadra) pilgrimage center housing Brindavana of the 17th-century saint Sri Raghavendra Swamy.

Incidentally, the boy’s grand father used to visit the temple every year, along with his friend. He got lost in the river Tungabadra and later after many days his body was found. He was cremated there itself and ash was given to family.

In the meantime, the grandmother lodges a complaint with the police as to the missing of her Surukkupai.

The police takes the grandson along with his train friend to Mantralayam. The police recovers one of the contents of the bag viz a gold ring with SR (Srinivasa Raghavan) engraved on it. But the grand mother refuses to accept and insists on the snuff box only. The boy goes back, considering the sentiments of the snuff box, to get back the box containing the ashes of his grand father.

As a sudden twist, the boy meets his grand father’s old friend Swaminathan, who hands over the box found in Mantralayam. The boy informs his grand mother, admitted in hospital then, starts to Mantralayam and immerses the ashes in Thungabadra after a video call to ensure that it was her box.

Strong dialogues on the ordeals of policemen, NEET, economic situation, political interference, treatment to elders and backdrop music by Viswajit supported the story. Both grand mother (Swati) and grandson (Vignesh) won applauses for their role play.