Mayachangili: A Tamil drama on corruption struggles to maintain its impact

In a system full of corruption, an honest officer is essentially a unique individual. This complex operates Brahma Fine Arts’ MayachangiliOf. Written and directed by Prakash.

Arun (K. Prakash) is an honest police officer whose superior, Pradeep, is a man with a mind of his own. Arun unearths valuable clues that help him uncover a drug trafficking network. But when Arun is on the verge of discovering the mastermind, Pradeep goes missing. KD Keppamma, who replaced him, starts harassing Arun, who starts drinking and eventually dies of depression. His wife Usha files a complaint against Keppamma and the case goes to court. While the defense argues that Arun died due to natural causes, the prosecution argues that constant pressure, trivial demands and verbal abuse on a person amounts to torture, which can lead to death.

In the play a God-man cures Aruna’s son, Krishna, from aphasia and paralysis, perhaps to appease those who believe in miracle cures. The play loses grip on its central theme as the playwright tries to appeal to different sections of the audience. The attempt to stitch together a social narrative with a subtext on piety takes away the solidity needed to carry the story forward.

When a senior officer like Pradeep goes missing, wouldn’t an investigation have been started immediately despite the corrupt system? Wouldn’t something like this have attracted media attention? This is a significant and logical omission in the script. Keppamma’s bitter comments against Arun are exaggerated, and Lakshmi goes overboard in her portrayal of Keppamma. Dwijesh Prakash as Krishna shows great potential, while Usha Nandini gives a charming performance as Arun’s wife Usha.

Theater can serve as a mirror to social ills like corruption, and a play that exposes corruption in high places is welcome. However, the script needs more work to make the narrative more solid and nuanced.