The drama around the skit( silapadigaram struggles)

It is been a tradition that all of us in our high school need to perform a skit for our language assessment. The best play would participate in intraschool competition. Our Tamil class had always been very perticular about staging a play for the assessment and narrowed it down by giving it a topic “kapyams and idhihasams”. There are 2 Idhihasams( Ramayana & Mahabharatham) and 5 kapiyams in Tamil. Quickly there were 3 groups which was formed out of nowhere and choose Ramayana, manimegalai,and valayabathi. Only sevaga sindamani , silapadigaram and  kundalakesi were left in the topic of kapiyams which we had no clue about the storyline to make it a script and stage a play. Mahabharata play on the other hand had too many characters to be staged which could not make a justice with just 7 of us remaining. Hence for our Tamil skit, remaining group of girls left out , finalised to stage silapadugaram. 

Silapadigaram tells about the protoganist merchant named Kovalan who is falsely accused of theft by the goldsmith who steals the anklet of the queen of Madhurai. The blame falls on Kovalan and is sentenced to death by the King without a proper judgement. Kannagi who is the wife of Kovalan burns off the city of Madhurai with her curse for the injustice done to her husband. We now decided the roles of the plays. I was given the responsibility of directing and scripting the play along with kovalan character. Box was given the role of King. Ana was given the role of kannagi. Seela was the queen , Usha as goldsmith and paru as Madhavi. With the practice day and night we had the final rehearsal the previous day that needs to be staged in front of Tamil teacher before staging it the next day with Tamil HOD as the examiner. We were all ready with our props. Box was ready with ready with the tiara, a stick and sword. Kannagi and goldsmith was given a silambu( anklet). The beads were kept ready to make the silambu breaking scene even more realistic.  I noticed box had a fake mustach on her.

 I asked her “ Box will it be ok ? “.

 “ All is fine don't worry Bala, the play is gonna be successful”she told. 

“ Not that box, I am asking about your mustach. Will you be comfortable with it. Is it pasted tight ? Don't paste it loose”. I said.

Scratching behind  her fake mustach, she said “ don't worry that will be fine. Even though it is itchy I can manage it without scratching with hands see” she made tried to shake her upper lips with her nose. It was funny to see her that way.

“ Ok then” I said and moved on. 

I safe guarded and drew my mustach with pencil and kajal not ready to take risk. 

The session started.we were ready for final rehearsal. Everyone were neveous with our Tamil teacher around with a batch of seniors . We were in the serious scene where Kovalan was giveng the death sentence.

“Kevala ! Kevala ! You r the culprit” shouted Usha. 

‘ kevala ? Who is that fellow?” I thought to my own self . I quickly realised that she was refering to me and i was to go to stage next . I realised Usha was meaning “Kovala”. I went in and  muttered to Usha with the mike away. “ Usha it is not kevala , it is Kovala”. She quickly corrected.

“ Kovala ! U r the culprit! See  your highness ( refering to Box)he is the culprit”.  He said.

“ No your highness I am not the culprit! Please understand! I never stole the anklet. “ I successfully delivered my dialogue and looked at Box where she was busy adjusting her mustach without hands. Usha couldn't control  herself laughing at the stage looking at Box expression of “ adjusting the mustach without hands”. This is the first time she is seeing Box do it , while I already ready for it. 

“ Shut up Usha! !!” I muttered.

Now it was Box turn to give Kovalan the death sentence. Everyone was anxiously looking at Box, waiting for her dialogue. She scrutised me and the audience. Took a deep breath scratched her mustach , stood up slowly, raised her hand and started to speak.  

“ Kovala needs to be ……….”  What? Everybody was curious to know about the pause. When I looked up at Box. The mustach fell down. “ Hung!!!!!” Box completed. After that incident for our second rehearsal , Box made it sure to paste the mustach tight with the upper jaw by securing it with the cello tape, but the cello tape couldn't stand the testimony of our Tamil drama. The next scenario was kannagi showing the beads in silambu by breaking them. " Here see, it is pearls in thw silambu!!! " Shouted kannagi, banging the silambu to the floor. The pearls bounced and hit box on forehead and pearsed the HOD's eye. But our HOD was so curious on our play, so we dropped the idea of sympathizing our HOD's injury ( not serious though)and continued. Box similarly cleared her throat, stood up mejastically and raised her hand to speak."Ooo noo! I did a mistake! A big mistake. Why would a king need a crown or sword when he can't do justice for people" she screamed, while throwing her crown and sword . This time it was box chance to hit people back. The sward hit  kannagi's leg."Ouch " sceemed kannagi in pain. But no one know it was because of box's sward. People were amused by the realestic acting of both. While we surrendered to the earth(layed down in belly), to protect us from any further hit or damages. The drama was a big hit. But only we know that little secret of natural acting.

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