Upan Da Maranaya:
A modern day political parable
Sachitra Mahendra and Ruwini Jayawardana
Nalaka Vithanage questions and reflects the role of politics and
media in our life. Upan Da Maranaya is a political farce with unlikely
yet extravagant situations. It is a good deal of disguise, mistaken
identity, verbal humour of varying degrees of sophistication and
wordplay. All these features make it an interesting and enjoyable stage
play.
A scene from Upan Da Maranaya |
What happens on the stage, however, is common: a politician dallying
with a mistress, a renowned actress while his wife courting his
secretary and a bob making advances on a female journalist. Still and
all Nalaka has twisted all of them into a nice sewing work.
Our local audience are able to link most of what is happening on
stage with real life incidents. This enhances the comedy and satire
towards the real characters who spring up in our memory as we witness
the events.
Hiding the pre-marital affairs or the number of girlfriends from each
other is a popular scene, because it easily makes the situation dramatic
as well as tense. Previous stage plays like Boeing Boeing and Malsara
Bisav bear testimony to this.
Upan Da exposes the political reality of our times: how politicians
get together to keep common folk in the dark. How it is commonly easy
for them to get away out of tight situations making subordinates
scapegoats. Nilaweera easily gets away making his secretary and servant
put up with the consequences.
The series of scenes brings a lot of drama. They give no space for
boredom, because they are hilarious and keeps audience glued to the
seat. They mount a tense situation even further by adding more obstacles
to the already-tight situation: garments taken to laundry, curfew,
Inspector and Nilaweera’s wife’s entrance, camera grabbing scenes. The
stage backdrop is interesting. Even minute details have been in the
centre of focus.
Direction is superbly done to reveal the personality of the
characters in the play. It’s not an easy thing to maintain the coherence
among a fairly big number of characters. Nalaka is lucky to have a
veteran cast, who know their acting almost to the hilt.
Minister’s servant Simon starred by Upali Bandara is exceptionally
brilliant. He knows when to show the right emotions. Duleeka Marapana is
made portly and looks very much suitable for the role. The situation is
resolved at the end and everyone is happy but one minor detail keeps us
wondering.
How will they explain the situation to the Minister’s stubborn wife
who had passes out during the scene when the whole episode comes to
light and resolved? They did not tie up all the threads but left the
audience to ponder over the matter.
Upan da also sheds light on the role of media as a whole. The media
puts the death of the Minister on their prime time belt, and interviews
with the Minister’s wife and secretary follow. No one is really
interested in further investigating into what happened.
The same media provides a cover up to the Minister who could easily
get away from his racket just by releasing a news item. Even after
Subasinghe was forced to cough up the truth, the Minister seems at ease.
He knows well he could well weather the circumstances in a corrupt
society. No one is interested in inquiring why. The bright side of the
story is that the play strikes a balance on criticizing both estates,
politics and media.
This climax towards the end of the play is very enchanting especially
with the light effects.
The Minister has a personal talk with the Prime Minister and at
length scenes are changed: cop releasing Simon. It is the way things
work in the corridors of power. It is how the general public is made
fools of. It is the easy way out for the media.
Intimate scenes that take place are also manipulated with dexterity.
For instance When Subasinghe fabricates a story that he has a
relationship with a journalist, it is spread around like a wildfire
mostly for his disadvantage.
Overall, the play is a brilliantly carved theatre piece. Nalaka and
his cast, no doubt, deserves the laurels of praise which is coming their
way as more and more strive to experience the beauty of live stage
acting. |