Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Poha gone wrong: terribly wrong

Ok, this does not qualify as a review. But I bought the ticket and went for the play and sat through it, so I have a right to an opinion, even if it is an unintellectual one.

The whole thing is about Sudama. As a concept my husband and I were excited: it wants to, in the beginning, explore the possibility of whether it would have changed the course of the big battle or of Indian philosophy if instead of Arjuna, it was Sudama who got the Gita's message. But though Sudama is made to sound like a left-out friend who keeps on resenting Arjuna, this idea, as the play unfolds, did not make any sense to me. Meaning, first a man who resents so much cannot understand the Gita. And if, as it is well-accepted that Sudama was intellectually and spiritually fine (he is said to have taught a mantra to Krishna, so you get the point) then he did not need the Gita: it makes more sense to give the message to someone who needs it (like Arjuna) rather than someone who already knows everything about it(like Sudama), so what is the point.

Then this Sudama who apparently is also That Sudama (Krishna's friend) gets rather rude I find. He is constantly calling people moorkh (maybe my spelling is wrong, but it sounds like a rude word) and laughing at people doing B.com (why, they are intellectually and spiritually less?) and in fact, I found that sad sack he kept calling moorkh was a rather chilled out guy who is actually one of the few people who finds some substance in Sudama when the whole world rejects him. So, that sort of loud, lunatic behaviour in the name spiritual advancement I found difficult to swallow. Not on, Makrandji.
The actors were all superb. But the script was lost. Suddenly, the spine of the story crumbles completely, and we find we are asked to believe in people who could be (maybe this Sudama is not, but so many tantric priests and Djinn-driven babas in this country who would love to have their halo certified by such a play) some quacks making  a fast buck. To prop this silly ending, the story crackles with a `believe-it-or-not' superstitious finish (where u can sense the whole cast and Makrand in particular is getting goosebumps because he is so carried away by that idea) that shows the playwright had completely forgotten the original intellectual intention. It is essentially a showcase for Makrand Deshpande and his six-pack. The other actors are all superb. The whole audience stood up to clap, clearly having enjoyed the play. I resisted it. Then since it looks rude, I too stood up. But did not feel like it, really.

8 comments:

Does it matter said...

Ha ha,

'Culture Vulture' indeed..!!

Am not qualified to comment on the Gita, Sudama etc.. But, it takes courage to call a spade a spade; takes courage to to not stand if you do not believe it worthy of a standing ovation; takes courage to critique a 'super-intellectual' (something like superman, a holy cow not to be questioned)........

Keep the courage, keep writing.

Guess I said it earlier too, but I HAVE to say it again - yr blog is addictive, love your writing.

Hmmm.

Regds,
DIM.

PS - extending my brief, one suggestion.. maybe you should also consider fiction (novellas/ full fledged books) too... whatsay?

YOGA IN EVERYTHING said...

thanks DIM.. your comments are addictive (being so flattering:). Yes, books too. I have written two sere books on yoga (I am more excited about yoga ashram reviews, like this one, sharp and down-to-earth, clawing at the halo so-to-speak. Maybe later... btw. do u follow my yoga blog? I update daily there -- but and there is another one too, which makes a bit sheepish even now, on meditation...
cya there, if u care for such stuff...

YOGA IN EVERYTHING said...

oh the yoga blog is Jaisivananda and the mind thing is called mymindnomind

Does it matter said...

Hi Shameem,

Yes, I did explore both your blogs, and even the other one (which u maintain for someone else)..

Seriously though, yrs truly is one of the (not so small) lazy folk that exist in this world.... so whether it is physical matters or those of the mind, well, ....... i guess you get the idea!

Having said that, will sure make an effort to go thru them too... well, especially if I have run thru' the posts here, I guess that is what I will do!

I dont know if I am imagining things here, but I could hv sworn I had read "murgh" ILO "moorkh" as it reads now - or were my eyes playing games on me y'day.. I can see the italics, so i hope (for the sake of my sanity) that it has been edited by you after I read it first??!!

well, thanks about the comments being flattering - that too is flattering! :-)

Before I sign off, what did they say about flattery getting one somewhere?

Hmmm......


Tk care.

Regds
DIM

Anonymous said...

Hi (again!)

Did you know the Ads that are flashing on yr site..

The one right below this post:

Vip Model in Mumbai
High Profile Model 09833577598 7k 15k In Call Out Call
www.mumbaimodelgirls.com/a.html

Google is being naughty I guess!

Regds
DIM

YOGA IN EVERYTHING said...

Yes DIM I did write moorg or whatever. And my husband, who is also keeper it seems, got wild (I was a former journalist and I guess he had married me also for my editorial skills:) and knowing my password entered the blog to clean it up. So barring u nobody noticed my `shameful' errors:)
U have sharp eyes... U a journo?

YOGA IN EVERYTHING said...

Oh thks for alerting me those ads. Will write to adsense.. very bad,, and shocking...oh, I think in democracy and if the hi class models like it and the high class guys/or gals who hire them too, its between them.. but not on my yoga blog, which is trying to be sanitised

Does it matter said...

Hi..

"Are you a journalist" reminds me of the Lalita Pawar - Guru Dutt dialogue out of the-movie-whose-name-I-have-forgotten:

- Are you a communist?
- No. A cartoonist.

Sadly, I could not come up with a witty reply like the one above.. So I have to make do with a simple "No" - am not one!

Guess Adsense must be working on the content of the blog and automatically pushing mails. And since the lady in question was advertising her services for Bombay, it would have automatically pushed it over to yr blog here. And hopefully not on your sanitised yoga blog!..

Regds
DIM