An equation for me has no meaning,” he once said, “unless it expresses a thought of god.” No wonder he is called ‘The Man Who Knew Infinity’ and a ‘Genius’. Srinivasa Ramanujan made substantial contribution to mathematical analysis, number theory, infinite series and continued fractions; but as everyone knows he died early, at the age of 33.
Apart from his mathematical genius, not much is known about his life. And, so Swatantra Theatre’s Hindi play, Death of a Mad Mathematician, to be staged on November 25, will prove to be an eye-opener.
Originally written in English by Shrinivas Sharangpani, Death of a Mad Mathematician was translated in Hindi by Vivekanand and Himanshu, and adapted by Dhanashree Heblikar, who also plays the role of Ramanujan’s wife (Janakiammal) in the production.
Abhijeet Choudhary, who has directed the play, read the script two years ago. “It struck me that Ramanujan’s terming mathematics as ‘language of god’, his breathtaking discoveries, narrating world class philosophy in relation to his discovery of infinity and convergent and divergent series, can get laymen interested in the subject,” says he.
The play also throws light on the mathematician’s faith in his deity, Devi Namakkal and his tragic death.
“Although everyone knows about Ramanujan’s interest in mathematics, how this young gentleman died at the age of 33 is not known. The play offers a glimpse into Ramanujan’s (played by Sawan Badgujar) character, his simplicity bordering on naiveté and his ignorance of social norms despite his brilliance in the chosen field. Death of a Mad Mathematician probes his physical and emotional needs and questions the actions of the persons he loved the most,” explains Choudhary.
The director has worked in many ways to make the conversations, interactions and transitions of the play feel natural and audio-visually convincing. He also explains the newest added angle to the play. “The play looks at the never-seen-before angle of the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law strife which contributed greatly to Ramanujan’s untimely demise, switching off a great mathematical mind,” he reveals, adding, “We wanted to highlight the turmoil that Ramanujan went through because of troubles in his family, work atmosphere and loneliness, instead of blaming his destiny.” Through the play, Choudhary wants to tell the audience, to let go off grudges, as it makes everyone’s life, including yours, hopeless.
Moving on, Choudhary, who has directed plays like Kabira Khada Bazaar Mein, says that the group also conducts training programmes for aspiring actors, empowering them to carry on cultural legacy, wherever they go. He strongly believes that artists portray the society, hence an actor has to be sensitive, observant and skilled. These are the qualities which they have tried and inculcated in the actors who have trained in their workshop.
Talking about theatre and youth, Choudhary says, “Youngsters have realised the potential in performing arts. They are exploring various facets of it like writing, art designing, lighting and of course acting. We also want to train youngsters in watching theatre; it has a set of ethics and so it is important to train people from a young age.”
ST Reader Service
Swatantra Theatre’s Death of a Mad Mathematician (Unexplored look at Ramanujan’s Tragedy) will be staged on November 25 at Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Sanskritik Bhavan, Ghole Road. The first show will be staged at 10.15 am and 7 pm
