Bahrain: Tulu Friends Circle Stages Comedy ‘Yethlaa Thelipoli’
Report by Ronald D.F. D’Souza – Daijiworld Media Network

Bahrain, Nov 10: It was indeed a day to remember for the folks of Tulu Nadu, the costal side of Karnataka when the Tulu Friends Circle of Bahrain staged a comedy play entitled “YETHLAA THELIPOLI” in association with Delmon International Hotel on November 7, 2008 evening at the hotel poolside. 

The programme commenced at about 7:30 pm with the Mimicry and rib-tickling jokes by the visiting artiste Kishore Kumar from Udupi which lasted for almost an hour.  His American Monkey joined in performing the Mimicry.

The main part of this programme was the play Yethlaa Thelipoli, a family oriented tulu drama performed by the local artists.  The story of this drama is about 3 families residing in one Housing Complex in peace and harmony. The heads of all 3 families are widowers having one child each – 1 boy and 2 girls.  One of the girls and the boy fall in love with each other without their fathers’ knowledge and end with the girl getting pregnant.  The latter part of the drama is involved around the lovers which also gives them a happy ending.    In other words, it is an example of true happenings in our own families.   The local artists gave full justice to their respective roles with good performance.  The music for the play was provided by Shashi Kumar a music director who came all the way from Mangalore exclusively for the programme

The chief guest for the programme was Balakrishna Shetty, the Indian Ambassador to Bahrain.  Shetty spoke few words on this occasion and encouraged the artistes to have similar family-oriented dramas/plays at regular intervals so that the tulu community can enjoy and participate. He later presented  Kishore Kumar and Shashi Kumar with flowers and mementos.  He also welcomed Mrs. Sahana Pradeep Bhat, a Classic Dancer in Bharata Natyam and Kuchipudi and honored her with a bouquet.  Pradeep is in Bahrain to train 20 dancers from Bahrain who will be performing during the forthcoming Bahrain Kannada Sangha’s “Kannada Vaibhava” which will be held on November 14, 2008 at the Bahrain Keraleeya Samajam– Diamond Jubilee Auditorium.

Austin Santosh gave a vote of thanks on behalf of Bharat Kumar, the organizer of Tulu Sambhrama.