This year, the Kannada theatre circuit witnessed Vedike 40, C R Simha 80, a year-long theatre festival to commemorate the 80th birth anniversary of the late stalwart of Kannada theatre Channapatna Ramaswami Simha (C.R. Simha) and the 40th year of his troupe, Vedike Foundation.
Vedike Foundation’s core team of more than 50 actors and several technicians staged around 10 different productions, and about 40 shows throughout the year at two venues in Bengaluru. Every second Saturday there was a show at K.H Kala Soudha in Hanumanthanagar and every fourth Saturday and Sunday, the troupe performed at Vyoma Art Space, J.P Nagar, along with more performances across the city.
“We performed 10 plays throughout the year written by some of the greatest Kannada playwrights like Masti Venkatesha Iyengar, T.P Kailasam, Girish Karnad, P Lankesh, Parvathavani and Chandrashekhara Kambar. Out of the 10 plays, three were new plays, and seven were revived. We performed Tughlaq, Kakanakote, Bhairavi, Haavu Eni, all directed by my father C.R Simha, and Bahaddur Ganda, Policer Iddare Echarikke, Aasphota, directed by myself and my wife Jasleen Simha. We also performed 12 one-act plays directed by a variety of theatre makers,“ said Ritwik Simha, a theatreperson, creative director of Vedike Foundation, and the son of C.R Simha.
Songs of Ratna
To bring the festival to an end, the troupe will be performing Jai Ho Ratna, C.R Simha’s last production as a writer and director, on December 16 and 17, at 7 p.m. in K.H Kala Soudha.
Jai Ho Ratna is a musical play based on the famous Ratnan Padagalu, poems by Kannada literary great G.P. Rajaratnam. These poems offer a unique background to the play. Ratna, a labourer, finds true love in Nanji. Their pristine love blooms amidst a dull, dreary, humdrum existence. Ratna, an optimist, finds magical romance even in his hand-to-mouth existence. Life is a song for him to be enjoyed to the maximum. Nanji is his counterfoil, lovingly managing the house with his meagre income. Ratna, his friends, and their daily escapades in the local toddy shop leads to several delightful situations. Ratna seems to have a song for every occasion. His wit and humour get him out of all difficulties.
C.R Simha was a multifaceted artist, recognized as an actor, director, and playwright, celebrated for his contributions to both Kannada cinema and theatre. Commencing his journey with Prabhat Kalavidaru, a theatre ensemble in Bengaluru, he garnered acclaim through his roles in numerous Kannada plays, many of which achieved iconic status. He ventured into directing and starring in Kannada renditions of Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream and Othello, productions that gained recognition across multiple Indian states. One of his best plays was Typical TP Kailasam, the first one-man show in Kannada theatre that delicately etched the life of celebrated and maverick Kannada writer Kailasam. This two-hour-long play was performed over 1000 times. He also directed and performed in English plays penned by playwrights like Moliere, Bernard Shaw, Edward Albee, Neil Simon, and others.
Talking about his journey with Vedike Foundation and working with his father, Ritwik Simha says he was fortunate to grow up in such an environment and for a very long time he was not aware that he was growing up around legends.
Taking forward legacy
Riwtik says that though taking forward his father’s legacy is a huge weight to carry, he and his wife are doing their bit. “My father’s legacy is a huge weight that we need to carry. I have been doing my part carrying his legacy and doing my own work too as a theatre maker. Another important person taking forward the legacy of my father is my wife Jasleen. My wife is a Punjabi, we met in college started doing theatre, and now she runs the Vedike Foundation along with me. She did not know Kannada when we first met, but now speaks, reads, writes, and directs plays in Kannada. Jasleen is the one who does all the hard work and runs the foundation.”
Tickets for Jai Ho Ratna, the last two shows of the year-long festival, are available on BookMyShow and at the K.H. Kalasoudha box-office.
