Varsha portraying Gadadhar Chattopadhay within the play Bhagavan Sri Ramanar.
| Photograph Credit score: Particular Association
The lights are dim on the stage. Gadadhar Chattopadhay is ardently praying to a life-size idol of Kali for a darshan on the Dakshineshwar temple in Kolkata. When the Goddess lastly seems in entrance of him, Gadadhar turns into ecstatic. His emotion tugs on the viewers’s heartstrings. Varsha Krishnamoorthy, who performs Gadadhar, reprises the function impeccably.
Not solely Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Varsha has additionally donned the roles of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Maha Periyava, Ramana Maharshi and Shirdi Sai Baba. Within the final decade, as a part of Mahalakshmi Women Drama Group (MLDG based by Bombay Gnanam), Varsha has carried out greater than 200 reveals and has performed a number of characters.
Varsha’s journey in theatre started throughout her college and school days. When in major college, she had as soon as scripted and directed a play on Supandi, a well-liked character from Tinkle comics. “I additionally donned the function of Supandi,” she recollects. She joined MLDG in her early twenties. MLDG has been her coaching floor. She picked up the nuances of the craft at rehearsal classes. “Expertise has been my greatest instructor,” she says.
It was throughout a rehearsal that she landed the primary function. “I normally know the dialogues of all of the characters in a play. So after we have been practising for the play on Maha Periyava, Gnanam aunty was extraordinarily impressed by my impromptu efficiency and requested me to play the title function.”
Varsha as Maha Periyava from the play Bhaja Govindam.
| Photograph Credit score:
Particular Association
Varsha additionally owes her appearing skills to senior theatre artiste and music composer R Giridharan. “I watched him get into the pores and skin of the character when he was dubbing for the play on Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. I then realised the significance of enacting whereas dubbing.”
Through the years, Varsha learnt how one can excellent her dialogue supply, expressions and physique language. When requested concerning the preparation she undertakes to make her efficiency partaking, Varsha credit Bombay Gnanam for it. “Although there’s a voice-over for dialogues, she ensures that we memorise each line to take care of the timing and spontaneity on stage. She insisted that I do analysis earlier than taking part in the roles of varied saints. So I learn books, browsed the web and spoke to historians to get a peek into their lives.”
Speaking concerning the bonhomie among the many members of the group, Varsha says, “MLDG is like dwelling to me. You might be by no means anxious when working.”
After each efficiency, members of the viewers throng the backstage to fulfill Varsha. She remembers how as soon as after the play on Maha Periyava, they got here to hunt her blessings. “We had received prasadham from Kanchi Math, which I distributed amongst them.”
Varsha now shuttles between Chennai and France. She accomplished her MBA this 12 months from Grenoble Ecole de Administration, the place she joined the theatre group. “I used to be the primary non-French speaker to attend their audition, and promised them that I might study the language quickly. They have been stunned to see me play the function of Dr John H Watson from Sherlock Holmes for the audition.”
Varsha was in Chennai early this 12 months for a MLDG play although she had a ligament tear. “Enjoying the roles of varied saints has had a optimistic impression on my life. It has helped me take care of ache and challenges,” she says.
