Memories of Yakshagana: Part 3

Then came another crop of Tulu prasangas (mid-eighties to late eighties) These were outright fictional. One could not really differentiate between a Tulu drama and a Yakshagana prasanga of this category. The classic examples were Dharma Dhaare which Kadri mela played, Kanada Thaniye and Bolliginde of Karnataka mela, Sheentrida Chennakke and Marmal Mandare of Surathkal mela and so on. For example, the central characters of Dharmadare and Bolliginde - a blind man and a mentally challenged son of a chieftain respectively, hardly suited the Yakshagana framework.
The criticism against Tulu prasangas now became shriller as the audience support began to dwindle. At this stage, it seems, even those who argued that a Tulu Tittu was going to emerge because of the prolifering Tulu prasangas began to have second thoughts about accepting the Tulu prasangas as Yakshagana. It was no longer 'democratisation' of Yakshagana. It was simply demeaning it. Unable to see the writing on the wall, the melas and Tulu prasangas continued to prolifer. Anantharama Bangadi, Nityananda Polali, Guruvappa Bayaru, D Manohar Kumar and other prasanga writers had their hands full. But, the the end of the popularity of the Tulu prasangas seemed imminent...(to be continued)