Chennai-based theatre group stages Vaikom Basheer’s stories in Shivamogga

The Chennai-based theatre group Perch staged “Under the Mangosteen Tree,” a play based on the short stories of celebrated Malayalam writer Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, at Shivamogga Rangayana here on Wednesday. The little over two-hour play left the audience impressed, thanks to its script, narration, skilful acting and stage presentation of the stories.

Vaikom Muhammad Basheer is widely known for his short stories and his active participation in the freedom movement; he was jailed and tortured by the police multiple times. The writer is popular among Kannada readers as well.

Interestingly, director Rajiv Krishnan has designed the play so that Basheer himself takes centre stage and handles the responsibility of narrator. The play opens with two characters regaling the audience with their funny movements and engaging them in a friendly exchange of greetings, setting the mood before the narrative proper begins.

The principal narrator is then shown occupying a new rented house. He is told that the house he has just entered is haunted, as a girl had ended her life in an open well in the courtyard. From then on, even the open well serves as a character in the play. The narrator turns the house into a friendly place by engaging in dialogue with Bhargavi, the girl who had ended her life by plunging into the well, going on to narrate his stories to her, addressing her as “Bhargavi Kutty.”

The audience is taken through Basheer’s stories, including “Poovan Banana” (Poovan Pazham), “The Blue Light” (Neelavelicham), “Walls” (Mathilukal), “Voices” (Shabdangal), and “The World Renowned Nose” (Viswavikhyatamaya Mookku).

Though the narration is non-linear, the audience does not lose track of the story — a new story often begins even before an earlier one has ended, and each one is given a powerful ending. The use of English, Malayalam and, occasionally, Kannada kept the audience engaged with the performance. The cast includes Paul Mathew, Aparna Gopinath, Darshana Rajendran, Karuna Amaranath, Krish Dayal, Vinod Susheela, Ashif A. and Dharanidharan U.

Farewell journey

Rajiv Krishnan, the director of the play, told The Hindu that the team was on a farewell trip. “The show premiered in 2008 to mark the birth centenary of Vaikom Basheer. The play was later revived in 2016 and again in 2025. So far, we have presented 100 shows at different places. Earlier, the role of young Basheer was played by a male actor. However, in the current format, it is being played by Aparna Gopinath,” he said.

“We are on a farewell journey as our senior artist Paul Mathew has turned 75. Besides that, in the present format, Aparna Gopinath is playing the role of young Basheer. Hence, we took up this journey. We had four shows at Ranga Shankara in Bengaluru,” he added.

The team will stage the play next at Heggodu on Friday, and in Mysuru on Sunday.