KANA Kuwait presents its third drama based on Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’
It came with a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder. ‘The Rain’, the latest theatrical production by Kerala Arts and Nataka Academy, presented at Kuwait Boy Scouts Association Hall on Thursday and Friday, created a sensation among drama-lovers. Dramatizing the tragic tale of ‘Othello’, Shakespeare’s great tragedy, ‘Mazha’ (The Rain) sought to discuss the politics of black and white, a stigma that still haunts humanity today.
Adapted into Malayalam by renowned playwright Hemant Kumar, the drama tells the distressing tale of a black general who gets married outside his race and station to the daughter of a duke. Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’ is a poignant tale of jealousy and betrayal that strikes a contemporary note uncannily relevant to our times. “Although ‘Mazha’ takes place against an Indian milieu, I have tried to not lose the soul and spirit of ‘Othello’ and the aesthetic sensibilities the play lends,” writer Hemant Kumar said.
It is often asked how Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’ remains relevant for a modern audience, a tragedy that was scripted in the early years of the 17th century. And how does a 21st century perspective on family violence deepen our insights and pathos on viewing the play today? Yet from its first staging to the present, Othello has also been among the few Shakespearean plays to be repeatedly staged to enthusiastic audiences, not only in England, but across the globe. Wellknown Kuwaiti producer, director and writer Abdulaziz Ali Al-Dagher, while inaugurating the production, said, “Music, cinema and drama transcend time, space and culture and bring people together.”
Striking recreation
‘Mazha’ is probably one of the striking recreations of Shakespeare we have seen in Malayalam theatre. This continuing appeal suggests that ‘Othello’ transcends the time and space in which it was written, provoking new interpretations from generation to generation, place to place.
Manipulated and goaded on by the resentful and Machiavellian villain Shikharan (Iago), Karutha (Othello) falls prey to his tragic flaw: Envy, a timeless human emotion. According to Aristotle, a tragic hero is of noble disposition, virtuous yet flawed. Here, Karutha’s hamartia/tragic flaw is his jealousy that is skillfully nurtured to a fatal fruition by Shikaran: The chilling climax resulting in the terrible murder of Chenthara (Desdemona) and the subsequent suicide of Karutha.
Jealousy was the main tool for Shikkaran to undermine Karutha. Shikkaran does not follow Karutha - he follows the prospect of promotion; he follows the rank, and in order to do that, he follows Karutha like a sly fox. As Coleridge is known for describing Iago’s many soliloquies as the “motive hunting of motiveless malignity”, Shikaran has no motive, only hatred and spite. Infidelity was the ultimate marital crime in early modern England as it is in India.
The play illustrates unjust prejudice against blacks and how they are seen as inferior. Karutha, a black general in ‘Mazha’, was disapproved and deemed unfit to become Chenthara’s husband, not because of his achievements, but because of his race.
Racism
Karutha’s race is constantly invoked throughout the play as the characters continuously suggest that he is neither deserving of the position he holds in society nor the love of his wife. The politics and vocabulary of race become instrumental in the fate of Karutha and his ultimate downfall.
Apart from the striking themes of racism, betrayal and jealousy, ‘Mazha’ is also about xenophobia. However hard Karutha tries to be a part of the elite society, he is never fully integrated into it. Even after he commands the army for the king, Karutha is still an outsider who is forever regarded with fear and suspicion much like one would look at a feral animal that is unpredictable and subdued only for the time being. The xenophobia depicted in the play is heavily reminiscent of the anxieties towards minorities and outsiders in a globalized world that purportedly preaches equality yet fails to practice it.
Chenthara’s and Karutha’s love is no match for Shikkaran’s plots and the greeneyed monster jealousy. Shikkaran’s actions undermine the relationship between Karutha and Lakshanan (Cassio).
While Babu Chakola, the director of ‘Mazha,’ dexterously played the role of Karutha, his tragic heroine Chenthara was played by Manju Mathew impeccably. Kumar Thrithala superbly played the role of Shikkaran. The other prominent characters such as Lakshanan (Dr Abraham Kozhenjery), Mandaran (Rodrigo -Dennis Tharakan), Chandrabhoopan (Brabantio Sajeev K Peter), The King (Gopakumar Navayikulam), Island duke (Aji Paravoor) and Pushpagandhi (Deena Dennis Emilia) performed their roles well.
Well-known stage designer Vijayan Kademperi flew down from India to create an ambiance of fantasy for ‘Mazha.’ While costume designer and make-up artist Vakkom Maheen lent the characters their incredible appearances, lighting designer Chirackal Raju provided ample light support to the play.
‘Mazha’ is the third mega drama produced by KANA Kuwait after the successful performances of ‘Abraham’ and ‘Ningalenne Communistakki’.