Mamatheya suli
Mamatheya Suli is one of the early and significant theatre productions in Kalabhi Theatre’s journey. Adapted from Rashtrakavi Kuvempu’s Ramayana Darshanam, the production explores the ideas of love, affection, attachment and the emotional bonds that shape human life. Through characters such as Rama, Kaikeyi, Manthara and Dasharatha, the production looks at relationships not merely as episodes from the Ramayana, but as reflections of emotions and experiences that continue to exist in human life.
While the conventional understanding of the Ramayana often places the struggle between good and evil at its centre, Kuvempu’s interpretation opens another possibility—that even those who are considered to have committed wrong can be understood through a larger human and philosophical perspective. Mamatheya Suli draws from this thought and explores how affection, when it turns into deep attachment and possessiveness, can influence relationships and lead individuals through complex emotional conflicts.
The production was directed by Ganesha Mandarthi, associated with Ninasam Theatre Centre and Udupi Yakshagana Centre. His experience in theatre performance and training, including his work as a theatre coach at Rangayana, Mysuru, brought an important theatrical foundation to the production.
The performance brought together Swedel D'Souza, Prakash K., Ujwal U.V. and Trisha Shetty as the acting ensemble. Coming from different artistic and theatrical backgrounds, the performers contributed their individual experiences in theatre, dance, performance and stage practice to the process of shaping the production.
The creative process was further supported by a team working across different aspects of theatre-making. The music composition was developed by Anush Shetty, Sunderesh Devapriyam M., Shruthi Ranjini and Bharath Kumar, with Raju Manipal handling lights. Prashanth Udyavara and Geetha Arehole worked on costumes, while Gopinath Acharya handled set and properties. Makeup was handled by Bhuvan Manipal, and Kusha Acharya worked as the music operator.
Through its engagement with Kuvempu’s interpretation of the Ramayana, Mamatheya Suli became an exploration of the many layers within human relationships. Rather than looking at its characters through fixed ideas of right and wrong, the production created space to reflect on love, warmth, attachment and the consequences of the emotions that bind people together. In this way, the production connected a literary and mythological world with questions that continue to remain relevant in everyday human life.
As an important production in Kalabhi Theatre’s early journey, Mamatheya Suli also became part of the organisation’s developing theatre practice. The production travelled through public performances and theatre platforms, including the Abhyanthara National Theatre Festival, Mysuru, and completed approximately 12 public performances.
Mamatheya Suli remains a significant step in Kalabhi’s journey of theatre-making—bringing together literature, mythology, performance and a group of young artists in an attempt to revisit familiar characters and discover the human emotions that exist beneath them.