Tamil Isai festival stages a play on Carnatic music’s Trinity

Chennai United Visuals presented “Sangeetha Mumoorthigal,” a drama about three composers associated with Carnatic music, on the ninth day of the 52nd Tamil Isai festival at Rajah Muthiah Mandram.

T.V. Varadarajan directed the production and played Syama Sastri. Veesvee conceived the drama, with Chandramohan and Varadarajan credited with the script. The musical score and direction were led by Bombay Jayashri Ramnath, with 30 vocal and percussion musicians taking part.

The story follows Syama Sastri, Saint Thyagaraja and Muthuswami Dikshitar, presenting their friendship, mutual trust and distinct devotional traditions. The production identified the figures through stage details: Thyagaraja wore a turban, Syama Sastri carried a small veena, and Muthuswami Dikshitar held a tambura.

Music formed a central part of the performance, which included compositions in ragas such as Punnagavarali, Hamsadwani, Hemaavati, Gowlipantu, Jayantashri, Sankarabharanam, Mohanam, Manirangu, Sri Ranjini and Chintamani. The play also depicted Dikshitar teaching Tamil to the Thanjavur Nalvars: Chinnayya, Ponnayya, Sivanandam and Vadivelu.

One scene portrayed Syama Sastri’s encounter with Bobbili Keshavayya at King Sarabhoji’s court in Thanjavur. In the episode, Syama Sastri answers a musical challenge with a pallavi set to the Sharabhanandana Talam, which he had created, and defeats Keshavayya.

Other performers included Lakshmi as Syama Sastri’s wife, Calcutta Ramesh as Muthuswami Dikshitar, Balagurunathan as Thyagaraja, Nivedha as his daughter Seethamma, and Swayam Prakash as Bopilli Kesavaiah.