UAA’s play Lights On is a humorous whodunit

UAA’s play Lights On (script: Venkat; dramatisation and direction: Y.Gee. Mahendra) was first staged in 1998, and has been revived now. The play is based on a story by Telugu novelist and film director Gollapudi Maruti Rao. In the play, staged recently at Vani Mahal, we are introduced to a drama troupe. Sabhas are ready to give dates to the troupe, but when it comes to payment, they are tightfisted. This captures the present-day scenario — drama troupes either have to operate on a shoestring budget or find generous sponsors. The members of the troupe are discussing a prospective play, when the heroine dies. Is it suicide or murder? The playwright, who happens to be her lover, is determined to find out the truth. Every member of the troupe has a motive to kill the heroine. So by a process of elimination, he has to rule out those with valid alibis.

From Lights On.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Lights On served up a lot more humour than thrills, making the suspense seem like an adjunct. There was a hilarious definition of copyright — Playwright Taiwan Santhanam (D.S. Ram) borrows ideas from other languages, but claims ‘copyright’ for his copied plays. Producer Panjumon (Y.Gee. Mahendra) asks him if copyright means a right to copy ideas.

The play tended to drag at times, and could do with some editing. The opening scene in a hospital had no connection to the main story. Mahendra gave a spirited performance, shoring up the play whenever the pace slackened.

The scene depicting Panjumon being touchy about his financial position and boasting about his potential every time someone doubted his pecuniary credentials was funny but repetetive.

Hussain was hilarious as the hero Mudikondan, brilliantly conveying his mock dignity and inflated sense of self-importance. The ending was a total surprise, as indeed it should be in a whodunit. On the whole, Lights On was well-directed and entertaining.