Mysuru:  “Any theatre should be bereft of ideology as it relates to the problems of the time and the situation at that moment which could become outdated at a later date,” said Littérateur and Saraswathi Samman awardee Dr. S.L. Bhyrappa.

He was delivering the presidential address after the release of the book ‘Samastha Nataka’ authored by poet H.S. Venkateshamurthy at Sarada Vilas Centenary Hall in Krishnamurthypuram here this morning, organised by Talukina Venkannaiah Smaraka Granthamale, Mysuru and Kadamba Ranga Vedike, and said, because if the plays are based on ideology it explores the possibilities of problem solving of issues related to economic condition, good rain and crops and all these are nothing but an illusion.

Instead, the play should reflect only emotions and rasanubhava whereas today’s ideology is of superficial value and once it becomes outdated it has no significance, he said.

Dr. Bhyrappa said that he had accepted the invitation only because of the respect he had for Venkateshamurthy and hence even though he had no time to read the book, he just had skimmed through it.

Recalling the time when he was in Delhi on a research assignment, he said that he had gone to meet theatre Director B.V. Karanth with his play ‘Grahana.’ After seeing it, Karanth had suggested him that the script needed to be improved and the only way he could do it was to watch them practice a play which was being held there.

However, he found to his dismay that the practice began only around 8.30 pm and ended around 12 midnight. He found it very difficult to find autorickshaws at that hour and as always they demanded double the fare. Hence, he stopped going to the practice sessions.

Then he remembered his English teacher in Yuvaraja’s College, Krishna Iyengar, who always criticised Shakespeare and felt that Bernard Shaw was an excellent dramatist. However, Dr. Bhyrappa said that years later, he discovered that Shaw was a greater dramatist for his English teacher simply because he had used technology in his plays whereas during the period of Shakespeare there was hardly any technology.

No one could beat Shakespeare in his thoughts because the great playwright brought all human emotions into play in his many dramas which no other person could emulate and hence according to him (Dr. Bhyrappa) Shakespeare was the greatest playwright.

Dr. Bhyrappa also pointed out how T.P. Kailasam’s play based on ideology as he talked about many issues like dowry had not eradicated the evil to this day.

Earlier, film artiste K. Suchendra Prasad released book ‘Samastha Nataka and also spoke.

The others present included well-known poet B.R. Lakshman Rao, critic Dr. Narahalli Balasubramanya and poet Dundiraj. Alok rendered the invocation.  Publisher T.S. Chayapathy Kadamba Ranga Vedike President Rajashekar Kadamba and Star of Mysore Editor-in-Chief K.B. Ganapathy were also present.

Later reacting to a question from the media, Dr. Bhyrappa reiterated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should be given another three terms to rule. To another question on Disneyland in KRS, he cryptically said that it was not possible to make it work.