Both the shows of Manmatha Vijaya, the running weekend play at Rangayana, was welcomed by the audience to houseful shows; not only were the usual seats occupied, the plastic chairs — like metal ones in real ‘companies’ — were put up for the sea of enthusiasts who kept coming. Manmatha Vijaya is a company nataka by all means, and Rangayana’s production treats it so with unfailing fidelity. The age-old play, composed by Giribhatta Thammayya, is directed by noted musician and theatre-director of the Gubbi fame, Y. M. Puttannayya.
The takeaways from the nataka are many: an unveiling of the company style to youngsters, and reminiscences to the old. As far as I gathered, not a single line from the lyrics or the dialogues was edited, thus running the saga for three hours and fifteen minutes.
