Samahaara presents Chalam's Maidanam

Samahaara Theatre Co-operative presents a Telugu play, an adaptation of Chalam's "Maidanam' Produced by Rathna Shekar, and directed by Nasreen Ishaque.

Maidanam, one of the the most famous and most controversial of Chalam's novels, dramatises his ideas on marriage, freedom and the moral issues involved in them. He gave a violent jolt to the complacence of the Telugu literary world, and by extension to the Telugu society itself, by writing one controversial novel after another.

Rajeswari, is a young, frustrated housewife. It all starts with her thorough disillusionment with her tradition-bound, unfeeling, emotionally sterile lawyer-husband who is given to treating her as a piece of property, as one who fulfills his sexual and social needs.Her deliverance comes in the form of Ameer, a client of her husband.

Their very first meeting is an emotionally charged and sexually exciting experience. His looks pierce her clothes and caress her all over her body. This is a new experience for her. She has never known anything so exhilarating like that before.

When finally Ameer embraces her, in the absence of her husband of course, she reacts with a cry of joy. She feels that Ameer has endowed divinity on her. This realization marks the death of her old self. She plunges headlong into a life of passion and bliss with Ameer.

Soon enough Ameer, asks her to "come away" with him. It is interesting to note here that apart from his passion and physical attraction for Rajeswari no other reason is cited by Chalam for Ameer taking such a drastic step. They decide to go away to "Maidanam," a wide open plain where they will not be disturbed by society.

For a while Rajeswari agonizes over whether she is driven by animalistic lust or noble love or the simple desire to free herself from the shackles of soul-killing traditions. After Ameer has gone away Rajeswari turns to Meera a handsome 16-year-old boy in a major way for emotional and material support. Rajeswari has to choose between Ameer, who she truly loves or Meera who acted as her pillar of support in desperate times.

What: Maidanam, a Telugu play

Where: Pheonix Arena

When: June 5, 8pm