The Author Speaks...

Matampu Loves Plays

The Mathrubhumi, December 2, 2008

From the conversation Prasanth Kanathoor had with author
Matampu Kunhukuttan at Chennai

“I wrote screen plays for many films. But, even now my desire is to see my works as plays. I believe that a theatre piece has a greater wonderful life to it than film.’ Says the great literary master, Matampu Kunhukuttan who recently came to see his famous novel “Brushtu” presented as an English play.

Even when theatre is on its decline, why are you attracted to this art form?

A theatre piece is an art form which lives longer than time and place. It can be translated into many languages. The plays can be published as texts in various languages. But it is not easily possible in the case of a screen play for a cinema. Take the case of “Brushtu”. I receive a remuneration for this novel even today. Now it has been staged in Chennai in the form of an English play. No one from Kerala, a place where people are called rich in the form of theatre has approached me with a request to make “Brushtu” into a play.

The directors of this play, Vasanthi Sankaranarayanan and Nirmala Seshadri claim that they have made “Brushtu” into a play because they love the style of depiction of the women’s point of view in the novel?

How can you write “Brushtu” without a woman’s point of view? I have not willfully chosen a style depicting the women’s point of view. I have depicted in “Brushtu” the odd customs and traditions that prevailed in the Namboodiri community of Kerala more than one hundred years back. Even today the condition of not having equal rights for women continues. Because of that, this theme is relevant even today.

Does “Feminism” exist even today with all its wider meanings?

The word “Feminism” is being misunderstood today. There are some people who believe that Feminism is free sex. Truly what this ideology puts forward is the idea that women should have equality with men. Seeing women as Goddesses based on religious beliefs is peculiar to India. Those people whose understanding of Feminism is based on wrong notions can be deemed as self willed and arrogant.

In these days, how relevant are Tatrikutty and Smarthavicharam as themes?

We can say that in the Namboodiri community, subjugation has waned and almost become non-existent. But, take the condition of the Muslim community. Muslim women can be rejected by their partners in marriage at any time. Truly today the situation is such that a Tatrikutty should emerge from the Muslim community.

In all your creations, women characters have a prominent place?

That has not been done through a conscious effort. It just turns out that way. In my latest book “Chakkarakutty Paru” I have imagined the woman as a tree.

Is it not difficult to structure a work such as “Brushtu” in the form of a play and make it a success? Especially because it is describing a story which has taken place in an era that existed many years ago?

It is at a time when even people from Kerala find it difficult to fully understand Tatrikutty and Smarthavicharam these two people (Vasanthi Sankaranarayanan and Nirmala Seshadri) have made it into a play titled “Outcaste Eternal”. Ten years ago they had made the same effort. They have once again given it a touch of sophistication. They have presented this play in a way which can be understood by everyone. The directors of this play must have worked hard on this project. Whatever it is, the play has given me complete satisfaction.

Hasn’t the play become somewhat cinematic?

I too felt that way. But, it has added strength to the play. In “Brushtu” the trial of Paptikutty comes as the very last episode. But, these people have brought that scene to the beginning. Afterwards the story is being told through flashback. I felt that this helped to keep the conflict alive in the minds of the viewer. In the 1970’s Triprayar Sukumaran had made “Brushtu” into a film. But the film was a great failure.

Did you feel that these people could have made the play a great deal better?

If I wrote “Brushtu” once again probably it would not be as good as the first time. Even if they felt that they could have made the play better, some times it might turn out to be harmful.