The saga of the Marudhu brothers on stage

In the late 1700s, when resistance to the East India Company was building up, there arose two brothers — Periya Marudhu and Chinna Marudhu — in Sivagangai. The strapping brothers aced guerilla warfare and helped queen Velu Nachiar regain her kingdom after her husband’s demise. Known devotees of Shiva, the brothers were executed in 1801, but not before they instilled the fire of freedom in many. Even now, in Tamil Nadu’s Southern belt, stories of the brothers are part of everyday lore. 

Now, the tale of the Marudhu brothers heads to the stage as Marudhiruvar, conceived and directed by dancer-choreographer Madurai R Muralidharan. This is an ensemble production  featuring more than 50 dancers, with animation playing an important role in taking the audience back in time.

Muralidaran, known for his productions such as Sakuntalam, Silappadikaram and Vayuputra, says that he grew up hearing about the Marudhu brothers and Velu Nachiar and always wanted to delve deep into their stories. “I want today’s children to know that we had such people in our land,” he says.

The production draws from history, and among the dance styles to be featured are flamenco, Bharatanatyam and Kathak. The music is a mix of Carnatic, Hindustani and folk. The title track has been played by the Budapest Orchestra. Muralidharan has worked with the Orchestra earlier for his production Sakuntalam. “Working with them only proves time and again that music has no barriers. Keyboard player Balaji Gopinath helped with the English notations and we sent them to Budapest. We waited three months for half an hour of their time. They were so perfect, they took just 20 minutes to record the song, with no rehearsals. I enjoy such cross-border collaborations.”

The ensemble features more than 50 dancers.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Why did Muralidharan turn to history this time around? “I’ve done 28 productions, and most of them have been on deities or characters from literature. Some, like the Silappadikaram and Sivagamiyin Sabadham required a working knowledge of history. But, I am also aware that our history books don’t teach us much about regional leaders who stood tall in their defiance. And hence, the focus on the Marudhu brothers.”

Muralidharan wanted to stay neutral and so chose to base the production on a book by Colonel James Welsh who lived in the region at that time, which he chanced to read in a library in Boston. “He was a great chronicler and mentions how they taught him to throw the valari (a sort of boomerang), their reliance on guerilla warfare, and minute details such as the height of the Marudhu brothers (six foot and more). He speaks of how they finally surrendered when there was a threat to demolish a temple dedicated to Shiva. They were hung for three days, and as per their last wish, their heads were buried facing the Kaliyar temple, and their torso was buried in Tirupathur.”

Muralidharan remembers being immensely stirred when his father narrated the story of the brave siblings. 

When it came to the production, Muralidharan knew it demanded a huge budget. “Over the past year, each one in the team has taken on additional roles to ensure we meet our deadline. There is special focus on two props — a horse and an ox (boom boom maadu), both designed by film art designer Anbu.

The show will be on for 2.5 hours, but Muralidharan says even that is not enough to narrate the stories of all the freedom fighters of that time.

The choreographer is known for his trademark jathis, but this production will feature none, because the story did not need them, he says. The animation goes into the nitty-gritty of the time period it is set in. The opening scene, for which the Budapest-recorded song will play in the background, showcases Col Welsh’s house. He’s the narrator too and speaks of the situation then and having to shoot the brothers, who were also his valari gurus. 

The show will be staged on February 7, 6 p.m. at Sir Mutha Venkatasubba Rao Concert Hall. Tickets on MDND  

Students, formally studying classical dance in colleges and universities, will receive a free pass at the venue.