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Theatre his forte

K.K. GOPALAKRISHNAN

K.V. Ganesh is a noted script writer and director of children's plays.

K.V. Ganesh is synonymous with children's theatre in Kerala. He has been the artistic director of Rangachetana, Thrissur for the last 15 years.

"I don't know exactly when I was besotted by the world of theatre," says Ganesh, whose passion for theatre grew up "by observing the innumerable plays and rehearsal camps" conducted at his village Karyattukara in Elthuruthu, Thrissur.

Author and playwright

So far, he has written 18 plays for children and directed more than 50 children's plays that were staged at various places in Kerala and other States. He is also the author of two popular books consisting of four plays each, `Pokkaram' and `Maveli Pootham'.

"It was my association with theatre guru Prof. S. Ramanujam and the experience I had earned by attending his thought provoking workshops that drew me towards children's theatre," says Ganesh, a self-taught theatre man.

He has also exhibited his theatrical abilities at various national and international theatre festivals.

In 2004, Ganesh was honoured with the Natya Bhooshan at the All-India Multi Lingual Theatre Festival, Cuttack, for his contributions to drama. In association with Rangachetana, some of his productions were for inmates of the Juvenile home.

He prefers to divide children's theatre into three broad divisions; the play conceived, directed and acted by children themselves, the play that children stage with the help of elders and the one presented by elders for children.

Though children's theatre is his forte, Ganesh has directed plays meant for adult audiences too.

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