MALAYALAM
Complete plays of Krishna Pillai
H. RAMAKRISHNAN
N. KRISHNAPILLAYUDE NADAKANGAL SAMPOORNAM: N Krishna Pillai; DC Books, DC Kizhakemuri Edam, Good Shepherd Street, Kottayam-686001. Rs. 325.
THEATRE OCCUPIES a significant place in the cultural and social life of Kerala. The plays of N. Krishna Pillai, a well-known playwright-cum-critic, denote a new and vibrant chapter in the history of Malayalam literature.
His first play, ‘Bhagna-Bhavanam’ (Broken home), was published in 1942, signifying a new dawn. He was greatly influenced by Ibsen, considered the “father of modern drama.” His creative and inspiring endeavour was to dissect any issue related to human life with all the seriousness it deserved, using the barest minimum of script, personae, and dialogue.
His dramas had a single theme — mental conflict — with just the requisite scenes, and his treatment was invariably direct, and sharp, enough to depict a human situation in its fullness. He scrupulously avoided lengthy and descriptive dialogues and monologues. Even the properties on stage would be limited to the barest minimum.
In ‘Darsanam,’ Krishna Pillai succeeds in giving vent to his uncompromising individuality and his burning passion for realistic visualisation.
As the eminent playwright Eric Bentley said, “The pulse of the drama begins to beat at the moment the playwright begins to struggle with his experience.”
Certainly, this volume, the complete plays of Krishna Pillai, provides a fascinating read for all.
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