Girish Karnad's 'Odakalu Bimba' adaptation comes alive in Tamil as 'Anniyal'

CHENNAI: ‘Odakalu Bimba’ is a Kannada monodrama by prominent Indian playwright and author Girish Karnad. A few years ago, theatre personality R Giridharan watched the English adaptation of ‘Odakalu Bimba’ titled ‘Broken Images’. Inspired by the performance and storyline, Giridharan envisioned directing the play in Tamil. Several years later, Prasanna GR undertook the task of adapting the play into Tamil. Now, R Giridharan is all set to direct the play ‘Anniyal’, the Tamil adaptation of Girish Karnad's ‘Odakalu Bimba’. The play will be staged on June 21 and 22 at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. Latha Venkat will be performing in this monodrama. This production marks the first Tamil adaptation of a play by Girish Karnad.

R Giridharan of Theatre Marina observes that Chennai has been enriched by numerous Tamil plays staged by big theatre companies and independent groups. He describes ‘Anniyal’ as a catalyst for stimulating imagination, provoking thought, and evoking strong emotions. “The play stands as a classic, a thought-provoking contemporary piece that promises to take the audience on a journey through various worlds and perspectives. Each moment of this 80-minute play is vibrant, unpredictable, and intimately shared between the performers and the audience. Karnad's stories often delve into deep topics like who we are, our traditions, and how they fit with modern life. When these stories are retold in Tamil, they take on a new flavour that speaks directly to Tamil culture," shares Giridharan.