Karpanai Kuthirai all action Chikku Bukku Kalyanam (written and directed by Vedarun Rajkumar) takes place on a train. The play was staged as part of the summer drama festival of Krishna Gana Sabha. The story revolves around an extremely romantic girl – Ananya (played by Subhiksha Sreedharan) – who wants an unusual wedding venue and is traveling to marry her boyfriend at a railway station. She is also happy with her father’s opposition to her choice because she believes – what’s the point of romance without parental disapproval? Ananya’s father appoints Mathew to spy on his daughter. Mathew, who is busy, asks his friend Balaji, a reformed pickpocket, to take his place on the train.

A comedy of errors unfolds within the compartment. | Photo Courtesy: SR Raghunathan

Two siblings – Kuntalkesi (Preethi Krishnan) and Manimekalai (Rini Chitra Kannan) – are also traveling in the same compartment as Ananya, though without tickets. Kuntalakesi is against the superficial romance of the modern world. Balaji, in the guise of Mathew, is captivated by Manimekalai’s charm. A comedy of errors unfolds inside the box. The journey is a riot of mistaken identities.

The ticket inspector, Valayapati, is not only retarded, but he does not even realize that he is retarded. The sisters outwit him with their loud, non-stop talking. Raghavan was excellent as Valayapati and one couldn’t help but laugh at his exaggerated confidence. Whenever Mathew/Balaji is on the verge of being exposed, he pretends to vomit or wears some shades to hide himself.

Parmesh’s performance as Mathew/Balaji was the play’s comic tour-de-force. Chikku Bukku Kalyanam It was a journey that unleashed some delightful madness on stage. There was such a maze of criss-crossing wires in the play that the audience could easily get confused. But the Vedarun prince navigates the difficult situations with ease, expertly weaving the tangled web he has created, without even once losing his humorous touch.