Mysore/Mysuru: ‘Nilukada Nakshatra: Ramanujan,’ a Science drama depicting staggering genius of mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan was staged at Kiru Rangamandira, Kalamandira premises here yesterday.

Born in Erode and schooled at Kumbakonam’s Town Higher Secondary School where he first discovered the joy of mathematics, Srinivasa Ramanujan’s short life of 32 years was once crowded with poverty, ill health, aspirations and brilliance.

Arivu Ranga, Mysuru, staged the Science drama written by Bhadrappa S. Henley and directed by Prashanth Mysuru. The house-full audience in Kiru Rangamandira were glued to their seats as they laughed,  cried and wondered through the 60 minutes of play without a break. 

At a young age, Ramanujan demonstrates his extraordinary proficiency in math. Following discovery of G.S. Carr’s book, Ramanujan becomes obsessed with numbers to the point that his own family members fail to recognise his brilliance. He gets so interested in math that he neglects other subjects due to which he loses his scholarship. Later, he begins publishing his works in Journal of the Indian Mathematical Society and writes a letter to G. H. Hardy, a lecturer in Mathematics at Cambridge University in England. Convinced that he is a genius, Hardy and another mathematician                                                                 J.E. Littlewood facilitate Ramanujan’s travel to England where he was honoured as Fellow of Royal Society.

 In 1919, due to his ill health, Ramanujan returns to India and eventually succumbs to his illness. Interestingly, the tragic end of Ramanujan was not portrayed on stage and the story ends with a very dramatic but positive note.

 Abhiram S. Datta played the role of Ramanujan as a young boy, teenage Ramanujan was enacted by Kaju and adult Ramanujan by Dr. Manohar.