How Tamil play Kapidhwaja is driven by life’s realities

From Kapidhwaja.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

In Dummies Drama’s Kapidhwaja (written and directed by Sreevathson), businessman Parthiban (Baskar) is a man of principles. Because of his strong moral compass, he is at loggerheads with his family and his office staff. So he decides to keep away from everyone for a few days, and goes on a pilgrimage. But you soon begin to wonder if indeed he is as scrupulous as he claims to be. He tells the driver Sarathy (Gokulakrishnan) to park the car right at the entrance to a temple, although there is a designated parking area.

He is very happy when fawning temple trustees welcome him. These are all privileges that he takes for granted because of his status. As Sarathy says, he only climbs down from his car, never from his status. In every temple that he visits, Parthiban finds an energetic old man in ochre-coloured dhoti, with a cloth bag slung over his shoulders. Parthiban is shocked when he discovers that the unassuming man Gururam is the owner of many companies across the world. It turns out that Gururam (Sridhar) had once been poor and had travelled to temples by bus. He just wants to relive the experience. The moment he is booted and suited, however, Gururam waits for the car door to be opened for him. Is his simplicity then just a pose? Or is it wrong to be judgmental? The play raises the question of what we mean by ethics, or to use a better word dharma. Sarathy gives Parthiban a modern version of the Bhagavad Gita, without its Vedantic trappings. Sarathy’s is a practical philosophy, showing us that sometimes we must blink at the faults of those around us, even stretching the idea of dharma a bit for pragmatic purposes. Coming to the title. Kapidhwaja is the name of Arjuna’s chariot, which had a flag with a motif of Hanuman on it. (Kapi – monkey; dhwaja – flag).

The title is justified, considering that the Sarathy in Sreevathson’s play is not just a driver, but like the original Sarathy (Lord Krishna), he too gives clarity of thought and courage to the man being driven. Kapidhwaja shows a pilgrim’s progress from smug self-centredness to self-critical analysis. Kapidhwaja is not to be seen superficially. We have to read between the lines and enjoy it.

Although all the actors played their roles well, Sridhar and Gokulakrishnan deserve special mention.