Sunday, March 13, 2016

Of Bhangara ,Thappattam , Elections and feigned deafness!


With Elections to the legislative assembly of Tamil Nadu round the corner, I had to inspect the polling stations pertaining to my jurisdiction, only to report and further ensure if all the infrastructural facilities for the conduct of elections were in place at the designated locations.

Four days ago, while I entered one of the schools(99 % of  the polling stations are located in schools nearby), loud Bhangara beats beckoned me, as though there was a drum roll set up for my entry!!
I resisted hard.Really very hard to not move to the rhythm.
With others from my office around,I could not have gathered myself to even shifting my weight from one leg to another!

I was bound hand and foot.Quite figuratively.

Feigning total deafness, as though the dhols, dholaks and high-energy music hardly ever impacted me,I walked away.
What a hypocrite, my inner voice lambasted me.

Huh!
Inner voices are meant to be endured I thought and walked up to my car to get on with the rest of my work.

Fast forward-Two day back.

We are entrusted with planning and execution of SVEEP.
For the benefit of those who do not want to google it( that is typically the ones like me), and at the risk of making it sound like an election training lecture,SVEEP is an acronym for the Systematic voters education and electoral participation programme.
Typically during the implementation of SVEEP ,we identify areas where voter turnout is usually low and take special efforts to impress upon the voters to cast their vote,with focus on ethical and inducement free voting, and emphasis on bridging gender gap.
Now,I am done with election lessons!

Fast forward- circa,nay exactly- 12/3/2016.

I enter Natesan park,T Nagar for the SVEEP prog.A brilliant band welcomes the walkers and stalkers alike!
I reach the rear end of the park where an event is scheduled.
The mikes are in place.So are the chairs and banners( no MCC violation here).
Oh myyyy what am I hearing! One of my recent favourites, the title song from Rajini murugan. Actually more than the song,I love the rhythm in the song( thakita thakita thakita thathaam;thaam,thaam,thaam,thaam,thathaam).
Being played brilliantly by an ebullient band.
I resisted the sway.I am sure most of you find it really tough to desist from swaying to any riveting rhythm.
The miniscule difference lies in whether or not you are able to shed your inhibitions.
Just like there are bathroom singers, there are for sure, bathroom dancers too!
Now getting back to work;
The event starts,and I am asked to talk.
Two things give me a heart in the mouth feeling.
One-When appa asks me to sing.
Two-When I am asked to talk.
I nevertheless pick up the mike,blurt out something and there you go,I am done with it!
The officer incharge of SVEEP makes a lovely speech in chaste Thamizh though.
The mandatory speeches are over and we get on to the actual act.A street play is slated for the evening.
Starts Thappattam.And I am already swooning,unable to contain myself.The heart starts pounding in excitement,trying to sync with the naiyandimelam and thappu and the electrifying atmosphere.
Ohm Ohm ohm.I fix my glance and thoughts on some remote nothingness and bring stillness.
Among the many things I find difficult, to act an officer tops it all.
I finally settle down, again feigning partial deafness, partly because I am actually distributing pamphlets!
And later I get fully engrossed in the street play by Bharatalaya,also keenly following the sign language interpreter's mudhras and abhinaya alongside.
There was this 'Meyadha maan' mention for which his interpretation was unbelievably awesome.
(There is some research material available on the evolution of sign lnterpretation from mudras and my curiosity to read it has been kindled).
In other news I made friends with Smitha, a sweet and svelte disability activist.

Time for curtain call.

-Street play by street theatre group Bharatalaya headed by Mr.Sathyan.
-Sign language interpretation by Mr.Suresh.

PS 1-
This post is for that one person who called me from a far away country the moment he got hold of my number,courtesy,election news and asked me as to why I had not been blogging,and to one of my friends who was upset that I had deleted one of my other blog accounts.

PS 2-
About 20 years back during one of my performances in Malappuram,Kerala, there was a very gripping tappeta gullu performance by a team from Andra that performed after me.
I am, ever since, singing adavi talliki dandalo, one of the songs for which the group performed.
This post is also to them.

PS 3-
With so many events,folk music and dance slated over the coming months until elections,I am seriously thinking if I should carry ear plugs for better self-management!