Book traces humour in Kannada theatre

Stage and TV actor M S Vidya has written about how humour works in folk, amateur and professional plays

An actor popular on the stage and in television has written a book on humour in Kannada theatre.

‘Kannada Rangabhumiyalli Haasya,’ by M S Vidya, is now on the stands. A lecturer in Kannada at Abbas Khan Degree College for Women in Cubbonpet, Bengaluru, Vidya says, “This book is based on my PhD thesis, which I wrote under the guidance of Dr S G Prabhavathi for Bangalore University.”

Vidya inherited her interest in writing from her mother Dr H S Parvathi, a well-known writer who worked for All India Radio. She has acted in many plays and TV serials, including Kathegara and Mayamruga.

“Several theses have been written about theatre. But no one had done an exclusive study on humour as far as Kannada theatre is concerned. In fact, no one took humour as a PhD subject. Also, I have acted in humorous plays like Brahmachari Sharanada,” she told Metrolife.

Her book also takes a look at humour in Sanskrit plays and in various Indian languages, and the place of Kannada in the overall scheme of things.

“We see humour as a main aspect in Marathi and Gujarati theatres. It is in their blood. But here, it comes and goes, and is sometimes found as satire in Sriranga, Master Hirannaiah and Narasimhamurthy,” she says.

Humour, according to Vidya, is more than just laughter. “Take Charlie Chaplin. Though his life was riddled with difficulties, he made us laugh. Similarly, Nagammatthe in Kailasam’s plays has seen a lot of ups and downs and when she speaks, we laugh. But everything she utters is true.”

Vidya says humour and satire have been a basic element of Kannada folk, professional and amateur plays. “The humour in folk theatre is bold and rough. In the professional theatre, it is tucked into the story (like in Gubbi Company’s play Sadarame written by Bellave Narahari Sastry). But humour takes a polished form in the plays written by theatre amateurs for an urban and literate audience. Yeshwanth Sardeshpande’s plays, like Rashichakra, are semi-professional ones,” she says.

Poets such as DVG, Bendre and NK have also written humorous plays, and humour is aplenty in children’s, absurd and street plays, she says.

‘Kannada Rangabhumiyalli Haasya’ (Sahitya Matthu Prayoga)’, published by Charumathi Prakasha, Bengaluru and priced at Rs 300. Contact 94482 35553.

Ebook is available for Rs 175 at Google Play Store.