How Cunniah revolutionised the mythological drama tradition in Tamil theatre

C. Cunniah was 1 of Tamil theatre’s top legends successful the aboriginal decades of the 20th century. His productions were known for their grandeur, and helium was considered a forerunner to the likes of Nawab Rajamanickam Pillai and R.S. Manohar successful the mythological genre. A little illustration of this legend, compiled by T.C. Vadivelu Naicker, a noted theatre artiste and 1 of the pioneers of aboriginal Tamil cinema, was published successful the play publication of Cunniah’s past magnum opus theatrical work, Bhagavad Gita.

Cunniah was calved successful 1877 (though curiously, the Government of Tamil Nadu celebrated his commencement centenary successful 1973). His involvement successful studies was limited, for, his ceremonial acquisition lasted lone till the 4th standard. Aware of the request to larn a trade with which helium could gain a livelihood, his parents enrolled him successful the Parur Thyagaraja Sastri Press connected Govindappa Naicken Street successful George Town, Chennai, wherever helium learnt composing and became a Telugu compositor. He aboriginal joined the authorities property and worked successful the aforesaid capacity. The acting bug spot him astir this time, erstwhile helium started watching plays being performed by Subbaraya Achari, a noted theatre practitioner of those times. Deciding to go an actor, helium discontinue his occupation and joined an entourage of performers led by Gopala Rayar connected a year-long circuit to Singapore. On his return, helium joined a play institution tally by Narayanaswamy Pillai arsenic an histrion astatine a monthly wage of Rs. 2. His relation with the institution lasted for astir 7 years, during which clip helium essayed a assortment of tiny roles and soon started making a sanction for himself.

Pursuing wider opportunities, Cunniah discontinue Narayanaswamy Pillai’s institution and went to Rangoon, wherever helium joined a play institution arsenic a pb actor. The little stint saw him summation recognition. On his instrumentality to Madras, helium launched the Sri Krishna Vinodha Sabha, which went connected to go 1 of the premier performing theatre companies of the aboriginal 1900s. One of its earliest productions was Sakunthala, with Cunniah performing the relation of Dushyanta. Spurred by its success, Cunniah embarked connected a bid of mega productions implicit the people of the adjacent fewer years specified arsenic Sampurna Ramayanam (where helium essayed six roles, including that of Kaikeyi and Surpanakha), Kandirajan, Chandravali, Sathya Harischandra, Lankadhanam and Vasanthika with the Royal Theatre astatine Salt Cotaurs arsenic his base.

Cunniah appointed noted drama histrion of those times, C.S. Samanna Iyer arsenic the troupe’s manager and toured galore places crossed South India, earning accolades from salient personages specified arsenic the royal household of Thanjavur. That Cunniah was greatly influenced by Parsi theatre’s accumulation values is evidenced by the information that helium appointed Ameer Ali of the New Albert Parsi Theatre Company arsenic Krishna Vinodha Sabha’s euphony director. He besides appointed Hussain Bakhsh, an artiste from Lahore, for a immense salary. He was made in-charge of the troupe’s scenes and settings. Notable actors of the Krishna Vinodha Sabha included the likes of comedian K. Sarangapani, C.V.V. Pantulu and Maharajapuram Krishnamurthy. However, the biggest sanction of them each was S.G. Kittappa, who, on with his brothers formed a fruitful relation with Cunniah.

Kittappa’s philharmonic genius propelled Krishna Vinodha Sabha to greater heights. Productions specified arsenic Dasavatharam (said to person been produced astatine a outgo of much than a lakh of rupees) and Krishna Leela owed overmuch of their occurrence to Kittappa’s singing, which drew galore classical musicians specified arsenic Kanchipuram Naina Pillai, Fiddle Govindaswamy Pillai, Marungapuri Gopalakrishna Iyer and Konnakkol Pakkiria Pillai to ticker the plays. Interestingly, Cunniah travelled to Penang successful 1926 and helped the renowned Ganesananda Dramatic Troupe of the Federated Malay States nutrient and signifier Dasavatharam.

Mridangam exponent Pudukkottai Dakshinamurthy Pillai and dholak subordinate Venu Chettiar were portion of the Sabha’s euphony retinue. Cunniah was besides an admirer of harikatha exponent C. Saraswathi Bai and erstwhile invited her to execute for his troupe and presented her with a golden cup. He was successful awe of her quality to bring live galore deities done her expositions, a task which helium remarked was undertaken by galore unneurotic successful his troupe.

A staunch Vishnu-bhakta, Cunniah was particularly devoted to the mystic-poet Andal (he adjacent staged a play titled Andal Thirukalyanam-Ramanuja Vaibhavam) and donated a aureate cookware to the Srivilliputhur temple. He besides donated liberally to different Vaishnavite shrines specified arsenic Thirukannapuram, Thirukannamangai, the Parthasarathy temple astatine Triplicane and the Ramanuja shrine astatine Sriperumbudur. Organisations specified arsenic the Ramakrishna Mission Students’ Home excessively benefited by his benevolence.

In 1930, Cunniah embarked connected an ambitious task — to dramatise the Bhagavad Gita. It took implicit a twelvemonth for the accumulation to instrumentality shape, with Cunniah pouring his bosom and psyche into it. However, down the scenes, a beingness of relentless enactment was dilatory starting to instrumentality its toll connected Cunniah and helium seemed to person had an inkling that it would beryllium his past offering. He was expected to person remarked to those astir him that nary substance what happened to him, the amusement indispensable spell on. It proved to beryllium eerily prophetic, for helium passed distant astatine his residence connected Mint Street connected August 31, 1931, a week aft the production’s inauguration. Chinnammal, his wife, ran the troupe for a portion earlier it was yet coiled up.

Unfortunately, Cunniah’s achievements stay a distant footnote successful the annals of Tamil theatre.