Sunday, June 9, 2019

Dummies Drama - Veezhven Endru Ninaithayo - A viewer's Review

Dummies Drama's Presented - Veezhven Endru Ninaithayo  drama today at Narada Gana Sabha.  As theater enthusiast and Dummies Drama's ardent followers, Raghu and I decided to make it for the drama after a relaxed Sunday afternoon. 

One word - 'Brilliant'  and Second Words -'Thought Provoking'.

Honestly, DD is one troupe of people who never disappoint you.   Strong in the subjects they choose, depth in the dialogues they deliver,  humour and wit in the life's real events that unfold,  artists who make you feel like you know them for ages and the entire stage coordination that shows the amount of practice and hardwork they put behind every Tamil Play.    If you want to enjoy Tamil Theater to its fullest, please do go for their drama's and they for sure gets interwine beautifully in your life somewhere or the other. 

Veezhven Endru Ninaithayo ( Do you think I will fall down?)  is such a emotional drama that makes you feel glued for the full 1.5 hours and for few minutes after the curtains down at the end as well.     



Many a times, Raghu and I wait for Sridhar sir to come on stage, for we are his die hard fans after watching 'Pratibhimbam' where he played the role of PM Narendra Modi.  But today,  Sreevothsan sir did not even give us a chance to think of Sridhar sir missing in the play.   Sreevothsan effortlessly played the role of the Protogonist Shantaram.    Shantaram is a reflection of each one of us when we face adversity in life, especially when we know that the end is inevitable.  The strong message of 'Life is how you take it'...sinks in you slowly and deeply as you keep watching the play. 

I am now repeatedly thinking if I should play a spoil sport and disclose the story line here, for those who want to go and watch it in the coming days or should I just review how I felt....as a theater lover, this play gave me something, I never thought of.   Prepare 'Bucket List!'.

Brief jist of the story-line!

Protogonist Shantaram finds out that he is suffering from Cancer and is probably in the final stages.  He ends up in a dilemma whether to go for the painful process of the treatment, share it with the family and make them unhappy and spend his remaining days in hospital and treatment or if he has to just let the treatment go,  manage it with painkillers and live life happily for whatever days he is left with.    After a deep self-introspection with his friend 'Raghava'...he decides to keep this a secret from his family.   He goes on to prepare a bucket list initially which were more of unrealistic dreams - like visiting Seven Wonders of the World, or atleast Niagara Falls, visiting all temples before his end comes.   Later on, on his advice from his friend Raghava, he rewrites his bucket list which is more realistic with things like 'spending time with his father,'. growing a mustache, ' planning for finances for his family',  'making food for his wife one day',  visiting all his friends and relatives, ' apologizing to all the people who he could have hurt in the past',  and bucket list no 7 of having a inner urge to meet his beloved lover Chitra whom he last met 25 years ago. 

The drama unfolds on how Shantaram starts achieving his bucketlist items,  a subtle love story  that tells us that 'Love can never be past tense', and it is only how maturely we understand it and keep it alive, to keep the spark of life and go on.    The drama shows intense scenes of family happiness, how casually dialogues create sparking thoughts in his daughter,  how his wife reads through pain in his eyes,  how a father poignantly clearly states that Shantaram can do what ever he wants and makes him happy and not just for looks...how a son calmly does his duties and adheres to his father's wish of taking care of his ailing friend...and how his ex-love Chitra strikes a balance between her love story and her present husband and their life together.    One dialogue that got maximum applause was between Chitra and Shantaram -  when she tells him that she told about their love story to her husband, and when Shantaram tells that 'how much ever a wife is understanding, this is one thing that never a man should tell his wife!'....clap clap clap!  And the true love he has for his wife when he wants her to be with him in the next life as well....                   

Finally, when it is time and Shantaram understands that most of his bucket list is now fulfilled, and final one is to go to Kasi..in search of Salvation...the play reveals the real identity of his friend...and his inner-self.   I think most of us need many a time, need to sit in silence and speak to yourself, to bring in the right conclusion from the conflicting thoughts and people and situations around us!

Three Cheers to  the amazing artists.   The role played by Shantaram's wife needs a special mention.   She did give her best.  The style of her saree draping and body manners made her have a strong resemblance to Nirmala Sitaraman....and her dialogues delivery and acting was really good.   Nithya as Shantaram's lover Chitra carries herself very easily.   Having seen her in many of DD's plays before, she was not a surprise in terms of dialogues or acting and she keeps up her space with ease.   The artists who played the role of his children were also very good.   Though for few scenes, the doctor, the company director,  the father,  Chitra's husband,  nephew characters lived upto the expectations.   The actor who played the role of Raghava - the self image of Shantaram did give his best and surely was in par with Sreevothsan.  The back stage coordination was flawless.

Music, Lights,  Make-up and Prompts were are well thought off and the technical team did their usual best as part of any other DD Plays.

Thank you Dummies Drama's for giving us a very heart-touching theater experiences time and again.  May your tribe increase, may you entertain us more and may your success become wide-spread.  God bless!


Long live Theater....and May the Creative juices keep flowing to enthrall our audiences for long!









UnSung Heroes: D. Annalakshmi - A Paraplegic Wheel Chair Marathoner who braves all odds!

D.  Annalakshmi, fondly called as Annam is a young woman who has complete zeal to life.   She is looking forward to making her own imprints in the world of marathons and shortput throw.   She is seen happily quoting Deepa Malik as inspiration and wanting to achieve something for her country.   
Annalakshmi is the first woman in Chennai to complete a 10K marathon on her manual wheel chair without support.  She is now winning several accolades on her participation in several marathon events in Chennai.   She also been part of the inclusion activities and helping students of NIFT to show case their talents by bringing in inclusive clothing.

How did Annalakshmi became a Paraplegic?   Was she born disabled?

NO.  Unfortunately, the truth is that a botched up surgery made a young girl disabled for life.   In the year 2001, she complained of severe leg pain and went to doctors, who suspected a tumour in her leg.  Without proper investigations or scans, she was referred for a surgery in Government Hospital, where she believed in the doctors and went under the knife, only to be awaken to the fact that both her legs are gone paralyzed and she became paraplegic with movements lost hip down.  The GH doctors and administration panicked and destroyed all the medical reports of her surgery and records without which she could not even take up a legal battle and with a family living with poverty, she had no choice but to grieve on her destiny and lose hope

How does she manage her life?   Is her family able to help her?

Very difficult.  For almost 7-8 years post surgery,  she was completely bed ridden.  She had no hope, and felt completely lost in life.   She did not understand why this happened to her in life.  She found getting down the bed, going to washroom,  wearing clothes, managing physical changes as a woman, managing periods,  managing bedsores or possible damages to the skin, that does not heal fast without blood circulation,  life suddenly changed overnight for her. 

She is blessed with absolutely dedicated parents,  who were torn by the financial challenges and meagre earnings.   Her sisters and brother stood as support physically.   However, as the years went by, the economical burden was too high with no financial support from any government or any thing.    Her family did everything possible to put her to ease.  However, the financial conditions were so tiring that left the parents in tears.    Today Annalakshmi tells us that she has to take care of her ill aged parents, where her father in on dialysis for 3 years and still works between the errands to hospital.   Mother's eyes dwelled in tears as she showed us the only picture of Annam where she was standing prior to 2001.    I felt a lump in my throat.  This girl can never stand in her life, because some doctor botched up her surgery for no reason .

What are her moments of courage, how did she defy all odds and exhibit this braveheart?

Annalakshmi did try to end her life many times.   Her failed attempts of suicide only gave her a sense  of some purpose.  Just few seconds before she lit the fire after dousing herself in kerosene, she heard a voice within her to stop.   She felt that God surely had a reason on why she have this life.  She decided to fight back the odds.

This sudden realization to life live meaningfully, made her get up with courage and start thinking at the positive side of life.   She started pursuing her education again.   Went on to do her BBA with extreme struggle and complete the same in flying colours.   She decided to tame her body to push to do the wheel chair marathon and her joy knew no bounds when she finished her first 10 kms Wheel chair marathon.   Today she works in the HR department of a company in Ambattur.

Her Achievements defying odds!

Participated 10 Km Marathon (Wheel chair) organised by the Wipro Chennai Marathon December 10 2014.
First person in India to do 10 km on wheel chair without assistance who has in injured spine.
First Prize in Shot Put Competition conducted by Tamil Nadu differently Abled Federation Charitable Trust
Won competitions AGAPA REHABILITATION CENTRE ELECTION 18TH June 2017(First Prize)
Tamil Nadu Para Sports State Championship held at Sports  Development -26th to 28th January 2018-Madurai (Discus Throw Second place) (And Javelin Throw Third place)

Tamil Nadu Differently Abled  Federation Charitable Trust 17th State Level Sports Meet for the differently Abled  Persons -10th February -2018 (100 MTS Wheel chair race  Second Prize) And (Shot Put First Prize)

Her Dreams now!

1.  To complete 21 kms in Wheel Chair Marathon 
2.  To represent India in Para-Olympic Sports and win prizes in Shot Put and Javelin Throw
3.  To financial support and take care of her aged parents.
4.  Share her story and inspire atleast 2 disabled women in life to look forward and not end life.

How do I know her?

Couple of years back, she came to NIFT where my daughter Aishwarya and her friends designed a ready to wear saree for her as part of their Ability Foundation Competition.  From that day, my daughter kept on talking about this girl.  Last year, when Anna Lakshmi wanted to search for a job and take up work, she needed a mobility vehicle.    Bank loan was given for the actual cost of the vehicle, however, the accessories that need for a physically challenged person had to be done on her own cost and thats where we pitched in and got the vehicle ready by giving her the financial assistance and from there our god-daughter relationship started with her.

Her Crusade will continue:

1.  To spread the message that disability of mind is bigger than the physical disability
2.   To empower women with spinal cord injury to not give up hope and start living life positively
3.  Creating more awareness and thrive for creating more accessible India for Wheel-Chair bound

Raghu and I left their home in Redhills last night, with a mixed feelings after giving her the new wheel chair.   We felt so heavy in heart and same time felt so happy to see such a compassion and warmth and positivist in this brave-heart.  Thanks to my blogger friend Guru for sponsoring the Wheel Chair and also to my friends in Inner Wheel for support to get her scooter ready.