Writing has never been a form of escapism from busy public life for Balusseri MLA Purushan Kadalundi. For the 65-yearold politician, who is equally hailed as a playwright, scriptwriter and director, every letter is a powerful medium to reform the society.
Currently penning a drama which links the tale of Sakunthala to the ill-struck contemporary society, he hopes that the work will prove thought-provoking.
Talking about his new venture, Purushan Kadalundi said that it is important for the difficult issues to come out in the open. “I believe that when we bring the grey areas of life to light, the public will start discussing it, which is the first step towards finding solutions to a great deal of issues,” he said.
In h i s drama on Sakunthala, the heroine represents the hundreds of unmarried mothers in the state who face atrocities at the hands of the ruling class.
“I still remember when I penned Penperuma for Kerala Women’s Commission, it became a topic of discussion among the public,” he said. Penperuma was scripted soon after he became the MLA in 2011 and the drama portrayed violence against women in the modern society. He has also worked with noted authors S L Puram Sadanandan, Thoppil Bhasi and M T Vasudevan Nair.
While admitting that his busy schedule leaves him little time to spend on his literary pursuits, he expressed satisfaction about being a public servant. “My political life helped me a lot in executing my ideas,” he smiled, adding that he still manages to find time to prepare before any public speech, because, “I don’t want to confuse my audience.
” Apart from penning scripts, he has also judged several professional drama competitions in the state. He has also had a stint in cinema, working as an assistant director in films such as Vilkanund Swapnangal, Varikkuzhi, Manju and Kadavu.
For the experienced playwright, dramas are powerful enough to explore the emotion and penetrate to the intelligence of the public. Though he has penned several short stories, street plays and scripts for telefilms too, his first love has always been drama.
Mamankam, Avaaham, Nilkkoo Sradhikoo, Aham Brahmasmi, Kiratham, Kireedam, Chekkerunnavar, Vilambaram, Thandavam, U r a n g u n n a v a r u m Urakkunnavarum and Seethapakshi are some of his acclaimed works.
For someone with such a creative bent of mind, how did he enter the political arena? Combining his social activism with his free thinking, Purushan Kadalundi began his political journey with the KSYF. During the Emergency period, he led students’ strikes against price rise and wrote the play Pattini to highlight the circumstances.
Recipient of the Jyothi Bahulae National Award of Kendra Dalit Sahitya Academy (2002), Abu Dhabi Sakthi Award (2005), Sreekantan Nair Smaraka Puraskaram, V K Krishna Menon Award, Thoppil Bhasi Award and National Safety Award, he also served as the secretary of the Kerala Sahitya Academy for over five years.