Veteran actor Kathadi Ramamurthy in Stage Creations’ Tamil play Sikkall Sivaraman. | photo credit: RAGU R
Stage Creations Sikkall Sivaraman (Story, dialogue and direction by SL Nanu), Chellappa (Nanu) decides to get his son married to Parameswaran’s (Ganapati Shankar) daughter in the Pillayar temple. Without Chellappa’s knowledge, his son secretly plans to marry Nandini’s (Anu Suresh) sister Hema in the same temple. Chellappa disapproves of Hema, but does not know that she is Parameswaran’s daughter. Lalitha’s (who is she?) daughter Janu is about to marry Suresh in the same Pillayar temple, without Chellappa’s knowledge, as he too disapproves of this match. And why is he interested in stopping this marriage? Because he is Lalitha’s cousin, and considers it his duty to protect her interests. Sounds very confusing, right?
Sikkala Sivaraman (Kathadi Ramamurthy) is the man behind the confusion. Sikkala means knots, and tangled problems always find Sivaraman. Kathadi is so nimble (just touch it) that you won’t tell he’s in his eighties. He moves in and out of scenes, delivering his dialogues with ease.
Sivaraman not only knows how to create knots but also knows how to untangle them so that everyone realises that ‘all is well that ends well’.
In his plays Nanu always takes a dig at eccentricities. Sikkall SivaramanHe mocks those ubiquitous YouTube channels that give you tips on how to clean your kitchen, fold clothes, etc., making everyday chores seem like rocket science. And we can all agree with Kathadi’s need to constantly check WhatsApp messages.
Naanu also shows how matchmaking has taken the form of a profession. If in the 1970s and 1980s, we had eligible grooms who would make impossible demands from the prospective bride, now it is the turn of girls to make equally impossible demands, and Naanu highlights this too. Nothing is good enough for Jaanu, she rejects one proposal after another for trivial reasons, until nature takes over and makes her fall in love with Suresh. As always, this is a light-hearted drama from Naanu, who is known for looking at life humorously.
