THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: One might remember Aparna Gopinath as an actress who was part of some of the best movies in Mollywood in the recent past, however, she is also someone who finds time for other things she loves equally; theatre, or in this case, ‘clowning’. The Charlie star is part of a three-member clown troupe which recently performed in Mumbai—as part of the international organisation, Clowns Without Borders, which has been active in South India for a few years.
Ask her what the show entails and she says, “We make the kids laugh.” But that’s not as easy as it sounds, apparently. “Kids don’t have an ego, they are kind and awesome, but their attention span is lesser than 20 seconds, and unless you can get your act right, you’ll lose them and will have to start all over again,” she elaborates.
The show doesn’t have a set format, but a lot of practice goes into it. “There is a story, but we do magic tricks, dance, slapstick comedy, interaction; anything to make them smile. It takes the same amount of work,” she says.
She’s joined onstage by her co-artistes S Santakumar and K Sivakumar, and they will be performing in different venues across the country. “But you won’t find us in any of the upscale venues. Clowns Without Borders performs for underprivileged children; orphans, gypsy kids, children of sex workers, or children who have lost their homes to natural disasters or war,” explains Aparna, who is preparing for her upcoming film Oru Nakshathramulla Akasham.