The Tamil drama Mental Manadhil is a witty take on imperfect marriages.

three entertain mentally retarded (Concept by MV Bhaskar; Story and Dialogues by V. Srivathsan; Direction by MV Bhaskar), inaugurated in Kolkata and recently staged at Krishna Gana Sabha, takes a humorous look at modern marriage. Sundar (Prabhu) and Divya (Priya Kannamma) are in love. Sundar is determined not to become a domineering husband like his father Mohan Ram (K. Subramaniam). However, Divya wants her husband to be like her father Subbu (MV Bhaskar). In Subbu’s house, only his wife’s opinion matters, and Subbu pretends that her opinions are his own to keep her happy. Divya believes her parents are a perfect couple, but the drama reveals that marriages are not always what they seem on the surface.

The play debunks the myth that soulmates must be mirror images. Photo courtesy: M. Srinath

Mohan Ram is not dominant and his wife Padma (Lavanya Venugopal) is submissive. They are happy with their marriage, while Subbu remains unhappy. Divya, who is a replica of her mother, expects Sundar to agree with everything she says, believing that a couple should share similar interests. In the early stages of their romance, Sundar does everything she wants. But eventually he feels that he can’t take it anymore and calls off the wedding. Padma helps Divya understand that a successful marriage requires not similar tastes, but a shared sense of humor and a lot of patience.

The conversation was sharp and relevant. As someone once defined it, marriage is the peaceful coexistence of two nervous systems, and the active word here is coexistence. It implies that there will be fights and disagreements, but the conflicts will eventually be resolved. The play debunks the myth that soulmates must be mirror images. The modern idea of ​​marriage as two souls living in perfect harmony is far from reality. After all, what’s a marriage without fights? The cast’s performance drove home the joys of an imperfect marriage.