I am not Tukaram!

A review in New York Times when Herb Gardener's "I am not Rappoport" was revived in 2002, famously summarized the play as follows: "A cardinal rule of a certain kind of sentimental comedy is that you can't keep a feisty old man down. Punch him, knife him, run him over with a tank or -- God forbid -- stuff him into a nursing home. He will still spring back to his feet, like Rasputin defying his assassins. Seasoned theatergoers know that each resurrection of said feisty old man must be acknowledged with a congratulatory round of applause."
S Surendranath (Suri) of Sanket, has adapted this hilarious but heartwarming tale into "Naa Thukaram Alla" in Kannada. Suri, one of the founder members of Sanket (along with Shankar Nag, Arundhati Nag, Ramesh Bhatt, etc. , has made a unique mark for himself as a fine writer and director. Most recently, he had the audiences in splits in more than 50 houseful shows of his adaptation of "The Comedy of Errors", tongue-twistingly called "Neenaanaadrenaaneenena".
Suri brings his uncanny aptitude at adaptation to full play in bringing Rappoport to Bangalore, more precisely to Lalbagh. What the audiences are presented with is a bouquet of flowers - colourful, fragrant, wild, unusual, and an occasional (intentional) thorn! While the play is extremely funny while you are watching it, you will happily let it tug at your heart on your drive back home and later.
B Suresha, Yenagi Natraj, Sihi Kahi Chandru, Megha Dixit, Medha Nadiger, Balaji Manohar,  et al, veterans on TV with roots firmly grounded in theatre don the roles to perfection. Shashidhar Adapa, among the best set designers in the country today has designed a never-seen-before set along with Suresh Baganavar. The renowned flutist Praveen Godkhindi has scored music.
 On Sanket
 Sanket is the troupe started by Arundhati and Shankar Nag along with a motley group of theatre enthusiasts - S Surendranath (a National School of Drama graduate), Ramesh Bhatt, Sundashri (from the Gubbi family), Jagdish Malnad, etc. That the group was into serious theatre along with films and TV they did has been very evident. Sanket has given several hit plays in Kannada - Nagamandala and Anju Mallige (Girish Karnad),

Hasirele Hannele, Aata Bombata, Nodi Swamy Naavirode Heege, 27 Mavalli Circle, Kanna Mucchale, Sandhya Chaaya, Namma Nimmantavaru, Ondu Aakasmika Saavu, Iti Ninna Amrita, Hulagoora Huliyavva, Nanna Tangigondu Gandu Kodi, Neenaanaadrenaaneenena and Sankramana. Athol Fugard's "The Road to Mecca" directed by Prasanna was another of their plays that made a mark.
Name of the play: Naa Tukaram Alla
Troupe: Sanket
Dates: Feb 28th to Mar 1st, Mar 3rd and 4th
Timings: 7:30 PM on all days, also at 11 AM on Sunday, Mar 1
At: Ranga Shankara
Tickets: At the venue, 9986016207 and www.indianstage.in