THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The city’s art scene is back. If nothing, the packed audience at the five-day drama festival hosted by Vyloppilly Samskrithi Bhavan last week was clear proof of the argument. Titled ‘Yavanika 22’, the drama fest showcased both amateur and professional drama troupes from across the state.
“There is only one word to describe our mood relief. The performing artists had to go through the worst as cultural events had been paused for more than two years. Yavanika has given us a stage to perform and helped restore our livelihoods,” said Rajeev Gopalakrishnan, script-writer of Alasa Sundara Yakshi, a play based on Kanjayi Kunjiraman’s Yakshi sculpture.
The fest displayed an assortment of themes and styles ranging from two-person drama Mrigam to award-winning autobiographical Ithihasam. There was also a newer style of performance in Nadacharitham a reader’s drama which followed a different style from the traditional mythological depiction.
Nadacharitham is a work of tribute to Sudhakaran S, an octogenarian who dedicated his whole life to theatre. The performance emulates the style of a radio drama. It was well received by the audience.
“I know artists who had to go for menial jobs and struggled to survive during the pandemic days,” said Dileep Sitara, producer of Ithihasam. The three-hour play discusses the life of William Shakespeare. Ithihasam has already been presented on 220 stages and won eight Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi awards.
Television personality and newly elected vice-chairman of Samskrithi Bhavan G S Pradeep said artists might be the section of people who suffered the most during the past two years. “During the pandemic period, art and art forms have gone through a purification process, in the absence of which people have gone through a seclusive wave of thoughts,” said Pradeep.
The Samskrithi Bhavan has decided to organise more cultural events in the coming days. In August, the cultural institute will be hosting two new events Theruv 2022, an Indian street-food fest with cultural programmes of respective regions, and a tribal literary camp for aspirants.