The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Theatre buffs thrilled by Basheer on stage

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Theatre buffs thrilled by Basheer on stage

Special Correspondent

Adventurous mix of stories: A scene from the play ‘Sangathi Arinha…’ presented by Perch Theatre, Chennai, at the National Theatre Festival in the city on Friday.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: ‘Sangathi Arinha…,’ a play based on seven short stories by acclaimed Malayalam writer Vaikom Mohammed Basheer, was the highlight of the ongoing National Theatre Festival here on Friday.

Presented by Perch Theatre, Chennai, the bilingual play is directed by Rajiv Krishnan. The cast includes Paul Mathew, Iswar Srikumar, Srikrishna Dayal, Anand Sami, Kaveri Lalchand, Jagan P, Karuna Amaranth, Aparna Gopinath and Rajiv Krishnan.

‘Sangathi Arinha…’ is an adventurous mix of the seven short stories penned by Basheer, with a common vein of love, humour and pathos binding them together. The characters speak in Malayalam and English.

A connecting link in this heady concoction is the character of Basheer himself, who plays narrator, participant and witness in turn. These stories are blended together in a nonlinear yet seamless narrative that reveals the extraordinary range of Basheer’s writing and experiences.

The stories in ‘Sangathi Arinha…’ are Neela Velicham, Poovan Pazham, Mathilukal, Sthalathe Pradhana Divyan, Viswavikhyatamaya Mookku, Oru Manushyan and Shabdangal.

At a face-to-face programme, Mr. Krishnan said ‘Sangathi Arinha…’ was a tribute to the greatness of Basheer.

“It was the simple style and the beauty of the language in Basheer’s works that prompted me to make a play out of them. All of Basheer’s stories and most of his characters are adaptable for the stage.”

Mr. Krishnan said he had tried to convey Basheer’s range and his understanding of man through his play.

“Yet, I am aware that a two-hour-long stage performance is too inadequate to do justice to Basheer’s genius.”

He called upon the government for steps to promote regional theatre.

Noted theatre director Chandradasan was the moderator. Festival director Abhilash Pillai and theatre technicians Natesh, Anushka, Anjana and Eeswar were present.

The Perch Theatre is a performance collective formed by enthusiasts who want to push the creative envelope using space, theatre, film, music, art and various forms of expression.

The members of the team are from diverse backgrounds such as theatre, design, architecture, filmmaking, radio and journalism.

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