Four years, and 100 shows, Mandya Ramesh’s Chama Chaluve continues to play to a full house. Avarana Trust presented this play written by Dr. Sujatha Akki and performed by the students of Mysore’s Natana repertory school run by Mandya Ramesh. Chama Chaluve is a modern folk rendering of the legend of Chamundeshwari and Nanjundaswami, the reigning deities of Mysore and Nanjangud, respectively. The stage is dominated by a huge mask of the goddess with her bright red tongue sticking out in all its grandly grotesque glory, in the background. When complimented for mentoring these dedicated young artists, Ramesh attributed it to mannina guna, modestly returning to the earth its due.

Source: The Hindu September 08, 2016 08:34 UTC