Ennadi Penne staged at the Kodai Nataka Vizha 2025.
| Photo Credit: SRINATH M
One of the commonly heard complaints is that laws which were intended to protect women caught in bad marriages have become tools of offence in the hands of unscrupulous women. This was the crux of PMG Mayurapriya’s play Ennadi Penne (story, dialogues, direction P. Muthukumaran).
Vandana (Anu Suresh) is a lawyer, who, because she was wronged by her husband, harbours a deep mistrust of all men. In divorce cases, she always appears for the women, and says proudly that she has never had a male client. The pungent dialogues laced with humour resonated with the audience.
From Ennadi Penne staged at the Kodai Nataka Vizha 2025.
| Photo Credit:
SRINATH M
When Sundaram (Sai Prasad) and his wife Preethi (Divya Shankar) decide to separate, Vandana, for the first time takes up Sundaram’s cause, thus breaking her rule of no male clients. Preethi is looking to profit monetarily from the separation. Vandana tells both sides that in their own interest, it is best to part ways on the basis of mutual consent. If not, they must be prepared for protracted court proceedings. Here, the playwright showed how frustrating the legal system can be. As the Latin saying goes factum clarum jus nebulosum the simpler the facts, the more obfuscating is the law.
The play highlighted the fact that in many cases, marriage was nothing more than a business contract. Usually Tamil plays have very few women characters, but it was heartening to see that Ennadi Penne had seven women characters. The actors delivered their lines without a hitch and with suitable modulation. But the story of Ennadi Penne was threadbare. Nothing really happened in the play. The only eventful happenings were Sundaram’s marriage and his quarrel with his wife Preethi. Vandana’s diatribes against men and her lengthy monologues became tedious after a while. Belabouring a point detracts from its impact. The lack of a well-structured storyline in Ennadi Penne was a drawback. A story with a message is understandable, but a message cannot be a substitute for a story.
Published – May 05, 2025 05:18 pm IST
