KOCHI: The country has been witnessing murders almost every other day which are fuelled by ideological rivalries, honour and personal enmity. In 2015, renowned writer M M Kalburgi was killed sparking nationwide protests. Last year, journalist Gauri Lankesh was gunned down outside her home on account of her stances on various issues. These incidents prompted K R Meera to write a short story ‘Bhagwante Maranam’ (Bhagawan’s Death).
Meera’s short story was written as a reaction to the ruthless assassination of Kalburgi. In this story, Bhagwan, a professor, gets killed by religious extremists for his progressive thinking and against whom he gave open speeches.
With the same idea, Hazim Amaravila has tried to unfold violence that is committed against the people who stand up for truth and who try to eliminate evils prevalent in society. “Although it is a dramatic adaptation of Meera’s short story, we have tried to give it a different outlook. Only some portions of the story have been taken and given dramatic adaptation,” says Hazim, the director and scriptwriter of the play.
The 100-minute play also unravels the stories of how the society is affected by political pressure. It is not about women, wealth or anything but the sole issue here is the power which is misused. The director has woven all the threads together and portrayed how people who raise their voices against the injustice will be silenced. Here ‘death’ is the main focus and how the society confronts it.
There is another parallel drama in the play in the production wherein the attempt of a theatre group to stage this story is also portrayed.In this space which is presented in a realistic manner, the inner politics of the actor comes into the front which is a reflection of our society. What is interesting in both the dramas is the display of the oppressive tactics of the ruling system, whether it is state or central, and even religion or caste. The play ends with the note where bullets never stop, Bhagavan gets murdered again and again but only to reborn again.
The play also features Arun Nayar, Santhosh Venjaramoodu, Kannan Nayar, Reju Koliyakode, Premjith Sureshbabu, Viju Verma, Nevil SB, Jayadev Ravi, Sreenath Sreekumar, Akhil Mohan Kumar, Amal Krishna, Arjun Gopal, Sanal Kumar, Reshma Chinchu K Bhavani and Shilpa Mohan.
Kanal Samskarika Vedhi, a cultural organisation by the alumni of Kerala University Centre for Performing and Visual Arts, has entered its tenth year. ‘Bhagwante Maranam’ will be staged at Soorya Ganesham in Thiruvananthapuram on July 13 and 14.