“Women everywhere live in a state of inherited fear,” wrote Margaret Atwood in her essays on gender. And it remains true. No matter the place, situation or time period, the story of a woman rarely changes.
With a legacy of over 75 years, KPAC has returned with its 68th drama, Bhagavanthi, staged before a packed audience at the Karthika Thirunal Theatre to speak about this reality once again strongly and uncompromisingly, as KPAC has always done.
“KPAC has always brought the politics of its time to the stage. Its plays have never hesitated to respond to contemporary realities through art. When KPAC approached us to work on its 68th production, we wanted to carry that tradition forward. That is how this project took shape,” say the writer-director duo popularly known as Ashok–Sasi.
Sharing a common artistic vision, K Ashok Kumar and K Sasikumar have worked together for over three decades, contributing some of the most powerful and politically resonant dramas to the Malayalam stage.
Their latest production, Bhagavanthi, staged under the KPAC banner and based on M Mukundan’s novel Oru Dalit Yuvathiyude Kadana Katha, was presented on Monday. Both the stage adaptation and the original novel underline a central idea that breaking free from tradition and deeply rooted social practices is not quick nor easy.
“Oru Dalit Yuvathiyude Kadana Katha speaks directly about the realities of Indian society. The story itself is strong; our task was to translate it into the language of the stage,” says the duo. After getting Mukundan’s permission, they began working on a script that would connect with today’s audience.
“The play needed to speak across generations, so we introduced a few additional characters and addressed contemporary issues that are relevant today. At the same time, we were careful to remain faithful to the original text,” they explain.
The story centres on a theatre troupe rehearsing a play based on the story of Bhagavanthi, a deaf Dalit woman who was abused by a village leader in the past.
As the troupe attempts to stage the narrative in a contemporary Indian setting, their process exposes the many layers of exclusion the story carries — of caste and gender.
The actress playing Bhagavanthi finds her own experiences in the present unsettlingly close to the character she portrays, revealing how systems of power and the male gaze continue to operate even today. The play traces the troupe’s struggle to tell the story truthfully, while seeking to become a voice for women who are routinely silenced.
The drama opens with the refrain from ‘Thunchan Parambile Thathe’, the iconic song from KPAC’s 1956 production Mudiyanaya Puthran. The moment immediately brought a sense of nostalgia, taking the audience back to the golden days of theatre in Kerala.
All cast delivered strong performances, playing theatre artistes who attempt to portray a real-life story with the same intensity on stage. The challenges they face during this process form the core theme of the play.
Along with ‘Illimulam Kadukalil’, another evergreen song from the heydays of KPAC, the production also featured two new songs. The lyrics were written by Sreekumaran Thampi, with music composed by Anil M Arjunan.
“After Vayalar and ONV, most of KPAC’s theatre songs have been written by Sreekumaran Thampi. We met him and explained the situation in the story, and he wrote two songs for us that fit perfectly,” says Ashok–Sasi.
The response from the audience has been overwhelming. They add, “Many found the story to be touching and some were moved to tears.”
The response, they say, reassured them that the play had reached the audience it was meant for.