THE BARD OF AVON IN THE PANTHEON ON THE COOUM

     The Bard of Avon in the Pantheon on the Cooum.

                             

The picturesque temple  town of Kumbakonam in south India, an old capital of the medieval Cholas , is situated between two rivers - the cauvery and arasalar. In the last century it was   Cambridge of South India’  and was famous for the scholars it produced. Its reputation rested on its temples and scholars. Now a days ironically when people refer to Kumbokonam they refer to its degree coffe.

    When a son was born after seven daughters Rajam Iyengar and his wife were in the seventh heaven. The astrologer confirmed that the both will have unusual talents in angila basha. Rajam had hoped that the boy would emulate Ramanujam but took it in his stride and gave the boy Sundaram all support, sending the boy to the famous arts college in Kumbakonam and the to Presidency college, Madras,  for his English Honours degree. He passed out with first class honours setting up an all time academic record. His professor was so impressed with his abilities that he got him a tutors job and helped him study of Elizabethan english and Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets and poems..Soon he was able to recite from memory all of Shakespeare’s plays. In life chance plays a large part one of these in Sundaram’s life was to attend the dramatic society in the college. Here he discovered his histrionic abilities and this was to become his passion. Serendipity played a part when his professor’s illness almost caused the cancellation of the college amateur production of Othello. The professor was to act the part of the Moor. From his sickbed the professor insisted that Sundaram should take over. Sundaram agreed , even shaving off his tuft,wearing a wig and removing his caste mark. Sundaram’s father was horrified and almost disowned his son. Sundaram went ahead nevertheless, and the play was a great hit. Sundaram was praised for his acting and his father seeing the writing on the wall forgave him. There was no looking back for Sundaram. Acting Shakespeare plays became his life’s passion. He became an accomplished mono actor. His lectureship became secondary to his acting .Though he got a lecturer’s job at a good college his reputation was  built on acting in shakespeare plays. He was invited to perform in the presence of governors and created a great impression by his mono acting.

in India in thirties and forties , at the height of the British Empire famous English shakespearean actors used to visit cities to perform to educate and impress the natives. Richard Horton visited Madras and gave a number of performances at the Roxy theatre of mono acting scenes from Shakespeare plays and reciting some of his sonnets. The final performance was to be in the presence of His Excellency the Governor. The shakespearean actors get their inspiration not only from the bard but from gin. Horton made the mistake of keeping his liquor intake with the famous strong Kolhapur rum. Half way through through the performance the madras hot humid weather and rum took its toll and Horton had to take an unscheduled break. When the break showed no signs of ending His Excellency visibly annoyed sent for the Chief Secretary and demanded an explanation. Now the chief secretary was in tizzy as he had a hand in Horton’s imbibing liquor as they had spent the night at the Hotel Connemara bar. Fortunately his steno, a friend of Prof Sundaram, suggested him as a stopgap till Horton recovered. He sold the idea to the Governor telling him that the superiority ruling race over the natives would be demonstrated.

So Sundaram got his chance and gave a memorable performance and brought down the house to with claps and cheers. His excellency wondered if had the right thing in agreeing. Horton saved the day by a memorable comeback . He finally praised Sundaram and agreed to coach Sundaram  for the next few days he was in  Madras. For Sundaram this was a leg up and his reputation was made. He was known as Professor Sundaram -the Shakespearean actor trained personally by the famous London actor Horton.  Though he continued teach his reputation and income came Shakespearean acting. The war years were busy ones for Sundaram. He was in demand for giving performances for the British tommies and American GIs transiting through India. He was invited all over south and even Bombay, Delhi and Calcutta.  On rare occasions he was asked to perform  in the governors house for senior civil and military offices. He was recognised  by the government with award of 'Rao Bahadur' title. Sundaram started dreaming of the end of the war and the chances of his invited to U.K to perform there. Little did he realise the outcome of Independent India and the consequences for his upward career as a Shakespearean actor.

Immediately after independence and for a few more years there was not much change but Sundaram was aware that it was a matter of time before the preeminence of English would go down and interest in Shakespearean acting would wane. His interest in Shakespeare and his plays remained as strong as ever and he was convinced that exposure of  this priceless heritage to the youngsters would help their mental development. He spent his money and spare time in teaching students the sublime beauty of the Bard's plays and sonnets.  With the most talented of his students he formed an amateur drama group and gave performances. The TV and other means of entertainment had not taken over in Madras which still went to sleep by 9 o'clock at night and the students found this an amusing way to spend the evening. Sundaram also looked after the well with inducements of money and food.

Then the visit Queen Elizabeth II to Chennai took place in March 1961. The news gave visions of a grand performance in the presence of the head of the head of the modern Elizabethan age.  Sundaram immediately dashed off a letter to the British High Commissioner,who was an Oxonian and an old Shakespearean fan.  Among the recommendations he attached was a letter from Lord Louis Mountbatten in whose presence he had performed.

Surprising he got a response saying that her majesty’s busy schedule could not accommodate his performance but that her High Commissioner would attend the performance at a later date. Lord Louis's name must have done the trick. He began planning for a performance with his student group. The mono acting was not very popular these days and this would give his student group to perform in the presence of the august presence of the Queen’s representative. He fixed the venue of the perfomance at the famous Patheon theater,Egmore- a nice small hall ,not very expesive and excellent accoustics designed by the British for performing their plays.An invitation to the British High Commissioner in Chennai to be the chief guest was accepted and Sundaram was in the seventh heaven at having the representative of Her Majesty. He selected his student actors with great care and spend hours training them for the great occasion.  They were a mixed lot ,some with squeaky voices , and were coerced by free non veg snacks during practice sessions and a dinner at Buharis after the performance.

Inspite of adverts in the papers the attendance at the drama was meagre due to a GNB music concert that evening. The strain and excitement and the Shakespearean actor Horton’s advice to have a tot or two before acting was taken by Sundaram and he was in full spirits conducting a last minute rehearsal behind the screens. The High Commissioner arrived on time and was welcomed by Caesar in his full regalia his breath smelling of triple X. He asked his Excellency a few minutes grace to wait for the delayed audience.Back to the stage and a few shouts behind the stage the curtain opened to the shouts of IDES OF MARCH-BEWARE. The play was a riot with Sundaram often prompting the actors, who very often forgot their words and had to be cued loudly by him.When this failed Sundaram himself spoke the words . Sundaram himself was a commanding figure and strode the stage like colossus. Brutus was small made student - an unlikely murderer who forgot his words and had to be prompted often. Antony was big made but with a squeaky voice and who disliked being prompted and showed it by scowling on the stage. The famous scene of Caesar murder was made hilarious when Brutus, so overcome at having to stab his Prof, that he forgot to stab him. Loud shouts from Caesar drenched in blood had no effect on Brutus and Caesar had to get up take the sword from Brutus and stab himself. The audience was rolling in laughter and clapped repeatedly and the dead Caesar got up and bowed to the audience.

Anthony started his funeral oration and became tongue tied after ‘Friends ah hum-------’    

From the dead Caesar-’Romans - you fool’. Antony in anger turned his back and the dead Caesar completed his speech to loud clapping from the audience. In the scene where Caesar's will was read to the people Antony started reading the will with nothing in his hand. The dead Caesar got up with the will in his hand and loudly hissed to Antony -’The will you fool - read from it’’. The drama came to an end and Sundaram took the bow along with his group. He gave a short speech thanking the small but elite audience. He thanked Her Majesty’s representative for gracing the occasion.

Then Caesar walked down the stage to see off the High Commissioner and his wife and apologised to them for the shortcoming saying that students will be students but he was satisfied that he had  inculcated a modicum of appreciation of  Shakespeare’s greatness in them.  

RAJA RAMAKRISHNAN

30-12 2013

P.S   This story is inspired by Kamini's ' Shakespaeare in Harlem'. The bard's play is in Madras of the 60sm of last century when life was very sedate and Queen Elizabeth was still regarded as a Queen In Madras. Alas things have changed and the Queen has problems in her own country. The Bard however lives on for ever in new styles all over the world. In Madras -now Chennai- you even had  the Bard's Othello in Kathakali style . 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

Comments

[Kamini]

What a fun read! I wonder how much masala has been added to this story?!

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[Ness Pesikaka]

AN OPERA BUFFA BY RAJA!

[Immanuel Suresh]

Thank you so much, iam not sure of the year but may be 69 I happened to see Prof Sundaram's monoacting. What brilliance it was, and I narrated this story to my dad and what coincidence he had met him somewhere in Tambaram with no money or food, My dad an admirer of Shakespeare was touched,
He has been in my memory since then and today for strange reasons i recalled and found this article.

[Kamini Dandapani]

Thoroughly enjoyed re-reading this! It took a while to hunt this down. We need to include a search feature in your blog.