CharukEsi - Drama by Y Gee Mahendran@NGS Main on June 01st,2022

[rajeshnat]

CharukEsi - Drama by Y Gee Mahendran@NGS Main on June 01st,2022
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Drama : CharuKesi
Written : Venkat
Directed : Y Gee Mahendran
Cast : Atleast 10 , I only knew Y Gee M and Suppini - million apologies
Title Music : Rajesh Vaidya
Background score : The hindu critic V Balasubramaniam commonly known as HIndu Bala
Sabha ??
Concert Type : it does not matter nirvana or non nirvana no sabha secy will dare to close without the climax. Any case it was open ended evening slot
Commercials : Free for rasikas

The month of May and June in chennai is suddenly with so much of Dramas- almost no Carnatic music . Incidentally we have NGS and RR Sabha and occasional MFAC also having almost dramas with even series . I wanted to see this latest drama of Y Gee Mahendran, he has completed atleast 50 plus years and also his troupe UAA is now 70 years.

Personally I don’t know if there is a drama where the hero himself is a Vidwan. There are cinemas like say Sindhu Bhairavi and Shankarabharanam which were super hits in that era but one has to sincerely appreciate the entire cast , the script writers and the back end folks ranging From unknown stage decorators to even background music score artist who all did a great show to create this carnatic musician based drama.

In this decade it is a joy to extrapolate how drama will be a fantastic body of work to definitely create fresh blood rasikas who will come and hear dance , drama and Carnatic music which is slowly getting more and more challenged due to excessive internet penetration , restless audiences who are losing attention span etc….

OK review follows in next post … hear your enna Kavi paadinaalum - neelamani - Anayampatti Adisesha Iyer (popularised by Madurai Somu) before reading the next post of drama review
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiiDf-HmkCE

[rajeshnat]

Ok review of the Charukesi drama without much revelation
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Charukesi is the name of the bhagavathar who is certainly around the age of may be 60 to 70 is my guess . He has his wife ,son who has taken a path away from classical music . The focus of the drama is more about how Y Gee Mahendran adjusting slowly and steadily to his debilitating disease. There is this one main track where how he slowly gets into the disease losing with it the charm of his music and to an extent his everyday life is affected to the core. IN this track one can certainly spot very easily that Y Gee Mahendran is taking a lot of charisma and acting from perhaps his primary manaseega guru Late Shivaji Ganesan. I am now not able to recollect the movie, may be it is thanga pathakam not too sure, certainly the acting excellence has come from Sivaji to Y Gee Mahendra

The supporting cast of Y Gee Mahendran and his wife who has had some hush hush secret in early part of their life is kind of rocked by his future daughter in law . There is even one particular stage sequence where that daughter in law just tells the flashback story like a Villupaatu , she was very impressive(sorry dont know the artist name)

There are other supporting actors like the most famous Suppini who is like a Sabha seceratary, then few supporting cast actors like brother in law of Y Gee M who handles the bhagavathar finances and dates are all well done . One particular role played by a fictitious voice of Y Gee M was well done . For the sake of little fun element, there are few characters introduced especially in police station are all well done

Also there is a steady education to many in the audience about the disease and how it becomes progressively bad . Though at times the drama may have been extrapolated in rasikas minds that it will take a route of the so called excess negativity or character flaws that you see in movies like Sindhu Bhairavi ,but nothing like that happened .One has to give it to the entire team there was absolutely no negative portrayal or stereotyping of a usual musician who takes up liquor or other vices, well done Venkat story writer. Also there is lot of thamizh film songs all the way from earliest G ramanathan to Illayaraja sir /AR Rehman mentioning different ragas will be very special for many new comers into CM with raganames introduced . I Thought the drama is anchored for a typical mylapore vaasi , but as such it will appeal for both uninitiated and significantly initiated audience who does a lot of sabha hops where ever they are in the world.

Personally the drama was a well spent night for me , They started 15 mins late and they announced it they had to accommodate some one in the audience . I guessed it right and told some one who is seated in the audience . That person was none other than Thalaivar Rajinikanth who sat for the whole show and went up and congratulated his co brother Y Gee Mahendran post the drama mangalam.

Y gee Mahendran and troupes comedy is not that high as s ve Shekhar or crazy Mohan but he has a bit of intellectual angle to engage in conversation pulling legs with more contemporary current affairs subject . All said one has to give it to every one for their ability to talk so clearly especially Y Gee Mahendran who has fantastic timing and dialog delivery. Also special congrats to background score of Hindu Bala.

Y gee Mahendran significantly sings with some nice voice background many carnatic songs, particularly the enna Kavi paadinaalum(neelamani by Anayampatti Adisesha iyer) and Naanoru Vilayaatu bommaiya(navarasa kannada by sivan) was impressive and apt suiting the story plot. All said each of you go and see this drama which was 2 hours and 10 mins without break.

Y gee Mahendran and his troupe are our treasure, one has to give it to especially Y gee M for his abdundant energy and drive to deliver dialogs with such rich articulation in my (?your) dear Thamizh .

Overall an excellent drama for 2 hours and 10 mins without break

[rajeshnat]

Y Gee Mahendran and Troupe -Charukesi drama@NGS Main on June 01st,2022