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Photo: S. Mahinsha

Moving centre stage: Murukan.

It was in the early 1990s that ‘Natakappara,’ a theatre movement of sorts, launched in Thrissur by four drama aficionados, actor Murukan, Babu Palissery (now Kunnamkulam MLA), playwright Pangil Bhaskaran and trade unionist K.F. Davis, was ubiquitous in the district.

‘Natakappara’ derives its name from a temple ritual held in villages during the Malayalam months of Kumbhom and Meenam (February-March) when harvested paddy fields surrounding temples in the central and northern parts of Kerala turn into festival grounds. During that time, as part of the festivities, the reigning deity of the village is taken in a procession on caparisoned elephants to the accompaniment of the chenda. The procession would visit houses in the vicinity and collect offerings of paddy in local measures called ‘para.’

The concept of the ‘para’ was used to take drama to houses. Seven or more small troupes would start their journey from a village centre, move in different directions, and perform in households. It was a conscious deviation from the concept of street theatre. Activists of a youth organisation in Thrissur used the Natakappara movement effectively in their literacy mission. Now the movement is being revived at Rangaprabhath in Thiruvananthapuram.

It is a homecoming of sorts for Murukan, for the children’s theatre at Venjaramoodu was established by his teacher G. Sankara Pillai. Rangaprabhath was Sankara Pillai’s pet project, and it is no wonder then that his disciple landed there to join hands with Kochunarayana Pillai who is running the show there, faithfully adhering to the founder’s ideals. Murukan has directed three plays for Rangaprabhath this year – D. Vinayachandran’s ‘Therukkoothu,’ Prasnathmitra’s ‘Aana’ and Purushothaman’s ‘Syllabussil Illathathu.’ ‘Bheema Ghatolgacham Bommayattom,’ written by Sankara Pillai, is the latest production.

Murukan combines puppet theatre techniques with Brectian concepts of alienation in this play, which has only two characters.

Now, Murukan is almost rooted at Rangaprabhat, where he thinks he can practise the lessons he learnt from his guru who made him don the mantle of director for the first time.

He was a student of School of Drama at Thrissur then. Sankara Pillai was very busy as the school’s director when some people from Ernakulam approached him to do a play for them. He asked Murukan to direct John Abraham’s ‘Chennaikkal Chennaikkal.’ It was a big hit and was staged across the State.

He says he was lucky to come under the tutelage of renowned Swedish theatreperson Maya Thanberg at that time. She had produced two plays for CULT (Calicut University Little Theatre, formed by theatre graduates) – Brecht’s ‘Mahagonny’ and ‘The Exception’ and ‘Rule.’

In the latter play, he enacted a major character and also scored music for it. Although his metier was acting, after graduating from the School in 1984, he turned to full-time direction. He was very active in the Matsaranataka Vedi period (’85-90) in Kochi and Malabar regions when a large number of amateur drama troupes flourished on the prize money they received at drama fesitvals.

Among his major productions during this period were Kavalam’s ‘Pasugayatri,’ which he directed in association with D. Raghoothaman (Abhinaya) for a theatre group in Peringottukara, and ‘Kalliletheeporikal’ of T.K. Ramakrishnan, former minister. When Sankara Pillai produced ‘Kathabeedjam,’ written by Vaikkom Muhammed Basheer, he called Murukan to play the central character.

He says his guru had a great gift for making people realise their own potential. He says Pillai and Maya moulded him and he believes in theatre’s role as an agent of social change.

Murukan took a break from the stage in 1989. His former classmate C.N. Sreevatsan’s script was chosen by Rajasenan to produce the megaserial ‘Mohangal’ for Doordarshan. Since then he acted in several serials and telefilms. Who can forget the wily Venki in the ongoing ‘Narmadipudava’ in Doordarshan?

He cherishes his experience of acting in Syamaprasad’s telefilm ‘Udyirthezhunelppu’ (based on Camu’s ‘Just’). Adoor Gopalakrishnan noticed his histrionic prowess and gave him a major role in his film ‘Kathapurushan’ (1996). After that he got cameo roles in several films, including Sathyan Anthikkad’s ‘Rasathantram,’ Kamal’s ‘Karuthapakshikal’ and Bhadran’s ‘Udayam.’

In a career spanning three decades, many awards has come his way. He received the State best mini-screen actor award-1998 for a role in Kovilan’s ‘Thottangal.’ Murukan says he enjoys his screen roles as it gives him both bread and recognition. But he thinks his real happiness lies in theatre – now at Rangaprabhath.

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