When veteran actor ‘Mukhyamantri’ Chandru first stepped on stage in the titular role of BV Rajaram’s 1980 play of the same name, he was in his mid-twenties and had little idea that the character would stay with him for the next 45 years.
“We had never imagined that an amateur team like ours, with a play that has no songs, or dance, or huge sets and runs purely on dialogues and play of lights would sustain for over 45 years,” says Chandru. This weekend, the actor-turned-politician will return to the stage for the 900th performance of the iconic Kannada play — a milestone he describes as ‘still an unbelievable feeling’. He credits the hundreds of people who have worked on the production over the decades and director BV Rajaram’s determination for keeping the play alive.
‘I was not mature enough to take up the role of a Chief Minister’
Today, at 73, Chandru says the character has grown alongside him and become inseparable from his identity. “I really wish to complete 1,000 shows of Mukhyamantri . It’s a play that has connected with the audience and generations for more than 45 years, and it will continue to do so for many more decades,” shares Chandru.
Because i had to,” he recalls, i just performed.
I made changes to my dialogues according to the political situation at the time of each show,” he says. Chandru says he has made it a point to give at least two days a month to the production, irrespective of where his work has taken him. “I have flown down from several cities and states, just for a show, because every other show has been sold out, and the audiences just keep coming back,” he says.
Interestingly, Chandru was not the original choice for the role. He stepped in at the last minute and initially approached the character simply as an actor. “I was in my mid-twenties and was not mature enough to take up the role of a Chief Minister on stage. That changed five years later when he entered politics himself. His real-life experience began to alter the way he looked at the character. “Suddenly, I saw the character differently. I started feeling the character more deeply and personally. Beyond its cultural impact, Mukhyamantri also became an important source of income for the theatre team, helping fund productions featuring younger actors. The 900th show may be a milestone, but Chandru is already looking ahead. It’s a dream. I really want someone to take this play forward.