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Drama festival hit by cash crunch

The curtains came down on the Surasu Drama Festival at the Town Hall in Kozhikode on Tuesday night. It could well have been last scene in the four-year-old festival. In his speech at the opening ceremony on May 9, Civic Chandran, general convener of the festival, had indicated that there might not be another festival because of financial constraints. On Friday, V.R. Sudheesh, the chairman, also expressed similar concerns.

“We have incurred debt of more than Rs.1.5 lakh. We sought financial assistance from the Kozhikode Corporation, but our request was turned down. We cannot conduct a drama festival every year incurring so much loss.”

It will be a pity though if this is indeed the final edition of the Surasu Drama Festival, which has always been received warmly by theatre lovers of Kozhikode. The Town Hall was packed every night for this year’s festival, which saw eight plays being staged over five days.

“It was heartening to see many old Muslim women among the audience to watch K.T. Mohammed’s ‘Ithu Bhoomiyanu.’ They must have seen the play when they were young,” says Sudheesh.

Before the play, which was presented by Kalinga Theatres, Kozhikode, there was a commemorative lecture by actor Mamukkoya.

The actor’s talk proved a hit too. The festival had opened with ‘Ayussinte Pusthakam,’ directed by Suveeran. The play, an adaptation of C.V. Balakrishnan’s famous novel, had won five awards at the recent Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Amateur Drama competition. The audience at the Town Hall loved it, applauding at the end of several scenes.

“It wasn’t easy to dramatise a work like ‘Ayussinte Pusthakam,’ says Suveeran. “I am glad that we could present the play at the Surasu Festival.”

P.K. Ajith Kumar

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