Thodarum makes a mark

CHENNAI: When it comes to Tamil theatre, a soft storyline and sentimental script reign supreme. So, it’s only with a lot of determination and a bit of hope that Theatre Group Prayatna should have come up with a horror play like Thodarum. And they seem to have succeeded in their attempt, at least, in frightening the audience with all those ‘special effects’. Kudos to Vivekshankar, writer and director of the play for his novel attempt. Staged at Narada Gana Sabha, the play starts with Arjun (played by Absar), a successful movie director, who, after giving three back-to-back hits, is planning to discuss the story for his next movie with his assistants, Krishana (Girish) and Palani (Palani). That’s when an aspiring writer and filmmaker, Belli Sathish (played by Balajee), meets Arjun and requests to make a movie of his story. Balajee leaves the story in Arjun’s office even after Arjun rejected his offer.However, Arjun is inspired after reading the story and learns that Belli Sathish met with an accident on the same day. Even  if there were possibilities to rescue him in the hospital but Arjun forsakes him to die and makes a movie, Thodarum, from Belli Sathish’s script instead. The movie becomes a phenomenonal hit and everybody praises Arjun. Without feeling guilty about what happened, Arjun sets off to Ooty to discuss the script for his next movie. And then comes the twist, as the soul of Belli Sathish starts haunting Arjun in the guest house where they stay for discussion. While every night Arjun goes through trauma, he later learns that it was all plots of Krishana to bring the truth directly from the horse’s mouth. Later, Arjun realises that Krishana is Belli Sathish’s longtime friend and the helper in the guest house, Sevanaa (played by TD Sunderrajan), is none other than Belli Sathish’s father himself. When Arjun refuses to accept his faults, the real soul of Belli Sathish appears to take revenge. Every actor in the play fit well in their characters. The music, the precedes, the appearance of Balajee definitely made the audience frightened. The sets of the guest house and sounds of the forest made one sensing a bit of jungle. Interestingly, the play has also been webcast and watched the world over.