Between the roaring rains they stood mesmerised, mothers, fathers and their little cherubs. Tenderly huddling their tots beneath the umbrellas, the parents stood immersed in the hand-play. Tots hid behind their mothers’ pallus every time the brutal wolf appeared out of nowhere. Trivi Art Concern’s first attempt at a muppet play, Red Riding Hood, became a sleeper hit at Kanakakkunnu palace within two days of its first screening. The capital city’s Onam Celebrations hence saw a new genre at their display, puppetry.
Everyone predicted a snowball’s chance in hell for the brainchild of Bandhu Prasad, Trivi Art Concerns - an art management group in Thiruvananthapuram for the art festivals to be held in the state. But today this little troupe, comprising four founder-members, has grown far beyond the four walls of the city and has become the first choice for all major art events in the state. From IFFK to Hay Fest to Biennale this group has done it all.The razzmatazz of the staged-world was not known to Bandhu Prasad, a law graduate, until he got the first taste through his elder sister Maithri Prasad. Maithri, who suggested the field to her brother, knew it would fit him to a T. Soon, this youngster, who was debating his rights in the Law Academy campus, channeled his debating prowess in managing artists and drama troupes. It was Sanjana Kapoor , the daughter of Sashi Kapoor, founder of Prithvi Arts, who identified Bandhu’s potential as an art manager. She urged him to start his own company.
Bandhu always knew that the fame and glory of stage was not for him. Hence he worked behind the curtains not letting them fall for long. Bandhu first joined as an art manager in the one of most prolific drama troupes in the state, ‘Abhinaya’, and he learned the basics of troupe management. Shortly, he started his independent work with the help of a few friends who later joined hands with him.
“The first art event I started working for was the IFFK and it happened only because of Bina Paul Venugopal. She gave me the courage to go through the pressure tests,” says Bandhu.
The group registered in 2011 has Bandhu at the helm of management and Bilas Nair as the creative brain. Bilas, who has a strong art background - with years behind him at ‘Abhinaya’ as a drama artist - acts as a playwright, puppeteer, dramatist and even a creative teacher. Primarily focusing on nurturing art awareness among common people, this troupe conducts art workshops in schools, IT companies and juvenile homes around the state. It is mostly Bilas who heads the workshops.
“I conducted my first drama workshop in a juvenile home. It was quite an experience. There were children who were serving prison time for petty crimes to murder cases. Some even came up to me and said I will not last for long. But by third day they started calling me ‘chetta’ and started adapting to my methods,” says Bilas.The mimers in the group, Manu V R and Bilas, have showcased their skills in front of the mute audience of the Government School for Deaf and Dump, Jagathy. When these children visited the Kochi Biennale premises it was not the art work that elated them but the familiar face of their drama teacher. Bandhu recollects the experience. “When we were organizing the Biennale, we had arranged a tour for the children and the moment they saw Bilas, they came running towards him and trapped him in an embrace. It was the most heartwarming sight ever.”
The troupe has organised two plays by now, the first one being Aroopi a compilation of literary works by Malayalam authors such as Sarah Joseph, Kadammanitta Ramakrishnan, Vyloppilli Sreedhara Menon and many others. First staged at the one-week workshop held at Ninasam, a cultural organisation in Karnataka, Aroopi has garnered rave reviews even from the likes of U R Ananthamurthy.
“Aroopi saw the writers as a family and even touched upon their hypocrisies at one point. The guest artists in our troupe, Shylaja and Sam joined us in this endeavour,” says Bandhu. Bandhu’s wife Smitha, an adept performer, has been an artist with Ninasam, before she joined Trivi. As Bandhu puts it, more than being his wife she is a co-contributor to the group.
‘Malsyagandhi’, a play envisioned and conceived by Sajitha Madathil, was reproduced by Trivi to create awareness on gender sensitisation in coastal areas. Sajitha gave her full support to the endeavour and they have staged the play solely for the fishermen in around six venues in the coastal areas.
Trivi’s works do not limit to the poor and the downtrodden. IT companies such as Nest, Allianz Cornhill and even the Rolling Stones, a Facebook group formed by the techies, seek Trivi when they need a little training to lessen their strain.
“Creative engagement will bring much change to your life. You just have to identify what your area of creativity is,” says Bilas. Bilas, who conducts classes for animation acting in Vismayas Max and Toons Aniomations, says that it is something he enjoys immensely.
“There are many youngsters who quit mainstream education and careers to come into this field, as Jayesh, Arjun and Shelly, the latest additions to the Trivi-group. But the only thing we ask of them is pure dedication. We do not want them to consider this profession as a passing fancy,” says Bandhu.
Trivi’s next puppet show is in the workshop getting ready to be screened at Kanakakkunnu for Onam. In a world buzzing with countless event managers, this art management group stays different for its mere respect and passion for art.