More than just gags

While ‘Vaseekaranam’, a comedy playlet, managed to get a few laughs out of the audience, it also conveyed a social message

Maheswari Prasad Comedy Club, Vijayawada, organised its monthly entertainment programme at Velidandla Hanumantharaya Grandhalayam on Saturday. ‘Vaseekaranam’, a playlet written by DV Ramana Murthy and directed by M Vijayakumar, was staged.

The comedy play had a simple storyline of a middle class family. Durga (Chandini) and Sankara Rao (R Anantha Krishna) are couple. Durga, who wants to hold sway over her husband, takes the help of a Koya Dora (B Mallikharjuna Patnayak). He gives a country medicine to Durga and advices her to administer it to her husband. While Durga is waiting for her husband’s arrival after mixing the medicine in milk, their neighbour Manikyam (G Rajagopal) visits the house and consumes the milk.

Under the influence of that medicine, he gets romantically attracted by Durga. At last, the family members give an antidote to him. With a message that a wife and husband should have proper understanding and harmony to have a peaceful family life, the play ends on a happy note.

Though the play started off as slow paced, it picked up momentum after the entry of Manikyam. The director should have focussed more on visual effects to captivate the audience. Speaking on the occasion, comedy club founder-secretary Rampilla Mohana Krishna announced to extend financial help to poor artistes and students in the memory of his father Rampilla Varaprasad and mother Naga Maheswari. It was produced by Ayachitula Foundation of Vijayawada. R Rajeswari conducted the programme. The cast included Ayachitula Ramakrishna and Anandagiri.

By:HVRS Prasad