Tulu play ‘Sathya Muneenda?’ celebrates 50 years

Tulu play Sathya Muneenda? has completed 50 years since its first performance.

Written by Tamma Lakshmana (now an art director) and directed by comedian Raghava K. Ullal, the play was first staged on January 1, 1976, at the Mangaluru Town Hall. It was produced by Richard Castelino under the banner of Arun-Kiran Productions.

Well-known actors of that time — J. Ravindra, Rohidas Kadri, Balakrishna Kadri, R.K. Mangalore, K.V. Bhat, Raghav K. Ullal, U.P. Kunder, Peter Bolara, Krishnappa Kadri, Babu Bhat, Reena Sinthi, and Leena Govias —acted in the play, Mr. Lakshmana told The Hindu.

In fact, the success of this play led Castelino (now deceased) to enter the Tulu theatre field.

“It was a special moment in those days, when leading Kannada actors such as Rajesh and Surekha visited Mangaluru to inaugurate this Tulu drama performance,” Mr. Lakshmana said, adding that the play was later staged in various locations.

Castelino, later, united all artists to launch the Dakshina Kannada Artists’ Association and organised a South Indian Art Festival in Mangaluru. Under the Arun-Kiran Productions banner, Castelino, who also secured the first-ever National Award for a Tulu film with Bangar Patler in 1993, began organising week-long Tulu drama festivals in Mangaluru.

These festivals featured plays by renowned playwrights such as K.B. Bhandari and Machendranath Pandeshwara, and paved the way for Tulu theatre to flourish, he said.

This particular play (Sathya Muneenda?) was performed in a cinematic style, with various scenes set against grand settings changing in an instant. Special advertising and movie-style promotions were also carried out for this drama,” Mr. Lakshmana said.

“In those days, modern technology was unavailable. Renowned musicians such as Ashok-Charan provided cinematic background music for live performances. Sound effects provided by a mimicry artist were an important aspect of the play,” he said.

Sathya Muneenda? was later published as a book by Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy in its 2013 book series.

Mr. Lakshmana noted that around 30 Tulu theatre groups in Mangaluru and Udupi were currently staging shows. Each troupe comprised about 25 professional artists. “Tulu dramas are still a livelihood for many artists,” he added.