KOCHI: Capturing the attention of the audience through a one-man performance is not an easy task. But, K P Jayamohan, a solo drama artist, does that with ease. His play ‘Police’ which was staged at the Kerala Police Officers’ Association district conference here, won accolades from various quarters.
“Behind the image of a tough cop who values his duty more than anything else, there is an ordinary person like us who is troubled by various pressures of life. That is what I tried to convey through my solo drama,” says the 33-year old Kasaragod-born artist who is now settled in the city.
“A policeman is always a loner. A hapless soul, who has to confine himself within his uniform even in the midst of pressing personal issues. The half-hour drama portrays a day in the life of an ordinary policeman,” says Jayamohan.
The drama, scripted by him, was directed by Gopi Kuttikol who recently made the Malayalam movie ‘Arayakadavil’. Jayamohan considers Gopi, a theatre person, his guru.Acting has always been in Jayamohan's blood. While in school, he won the best actor award at the State School Arts Festival in 1999. It was Gopi's Kuttikol’s drama ‘Avadhikkalam’ which earned him the honour. Jayamohan also won many honours in acting during his stint in Kannur University.
After his MBA, Jayamohan worked as a manager in a jewellery firm and later in a media organisation. But, he valued acting above everything else. Jayamohan used to do stand-up comedy and organise drama camps to keep his passion alive. But, the chance to associate with the movie ‘Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum’ as a junior artist evoked his curiosity about policemen and the way they balance their personal and professional life.
“My father was a teacher and most of his friends were policemen. So from an early age, I knew that the men in khakhi, who society sees in a negative shade, are just ordinary people like us. This familiarity also prompted me to script the solo drama,” he adds.
To do justice towards his passion, Jayamohan quit his regular job and launched an event management company in the city. Besides solo drama, the young artist is also planning to take up stand-up comedy in a big way. “I also plan to bring more interesting themes to my solo performances which would make people exclaim: ‘Look, here’s a slice from our daily life’.”