New role for Murali
K. K. GOPALAKRISHNAN
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Murali, Chairman of the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi, reveals some of his plans to make the Akademi's interaction with the public more meaningful.
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Photo: C. Ratheesh Kumar
AT THE HELM: Murali aims at reviving the theatre culture of Kerala.
Actor and theatre person Murali's appointment as Chairman of the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi has raised great expectations. In a freewheeling chat, Murali unveils his plans for the body he heads and the projects on its anvil.
"My primary concern is to focus on the Akademi's interactive programmes with the public at large. Theatre, music, dance and folk arts are an ideal media for the same and we are looking into various aspects of its implementation," he says. He adds that he is not referring to any internal changes in the structure of the Akademi.
Reviving theatre
"Our classical art forms have great potential as well as limitations. Contemporary matters cannot always be successfully expressed through such forms. But theatre is an effervescent medium that can contain both social realities and its resonance, thus enabling it to communicate with people at the grass-root level. With this aim in mind, we have decided to make a repertoire of select scripts that will be assigned to capable theatre activists and monitored by us. Our idea is to revive the theatre culture of Kerala," he explains.
An immediate project on the anvil of the Akademi is a week-long children's theatre festival cum workshop at Alumthara in Thiruvananthapuram, in association with the Venjaramoodu-based `Rangaprabath.'
"In tune with the recent decision of the Sangeet Nataka Akademi to promote young talent below 35 in Indian dance and music with an award of national merit, the State Akademi too will institute a similar award to encourage youngsters in Keralite music and dance. The details are being worked out," says an enthused Murali.
A Kathak festival at Thrissur, Palakkad, Ernakulam, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram by Delhi Kathak Kendra and a national folk music, dance and theatre festival, both in collaboration with Sangeeta Nataka Akademi, Delhi, and a theatre festival in memory of the late thespian G. Sankara Pillai in association with School of Drama, Thrissur, are the other projects in the pipeline.
"The sad state of the regional theatre of the Akademi, perhaps the best theatre in Kerala in terms of acoustic and audience communication, is of great concern to us," says Murali whose passion for theatre is well known.
In fact he believes that while his passion for theatre is in his blood, his film career happened by chance.
Lecture-demonstration
He is working out a master plan to invite maestros in theatre, music and dance for a series of three lecture-demonstrations each year. Any dream project in his mind?
"An Asian theatre festival in association with the Sangeeta Nataka Akademi, ICCR, and Union Ministry of Culture with participation from Japan, China, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka along with Arab theatre is in my mind. Not many people know about Arab theatre and thus I wanted to bring it here," says Murali, adding that all these would be in addition to the routine programmes of the Akademi.
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