KOCHI: When Azeez, a young Muslim Malayali youth who leads a mechanical corporate life in Mumbai, faces the need to own a ration card, he embarks on a journey in search of an address proof. But, his quest for an address turns out to be an ill-fated one in which he finally finds himself stripped off his identity.
It is this journey of Azeez that forms the crust of N S Madhavan’s famous short story ‘Mumbai’, that won the Katha Prize Story Award.
And, staging the theatre adaptation of ‘Mumbai’ is Vijayakumar Prabhakaran, an actor and theatre personality based in Kochi, through ‘Azzeezinte Varthamaanam’.
The play will be staged at Fine Arts Hall on Sunday at 6:45 pm.
Actor Shine Tom Chacko will play Azeez, the main lead while Parvathi Menon will play the character of a government employee. ‘Azzeezinte Varthamaanam’ is Shine’s debut theatre performance.
Shabu K Madhavan, Razal, Pradeep Sukumaran and Harikrishnan will play other prominent characters in the play.
Vijayakumar Prabhakaran says it is the contemporary relevance of the widely-acclaimed story that prompted him to adapt it into a play.
“Though the story deals with the identity crisis of the protagonist, it is equally about our present government office system that can wear one out with its red-tapism. In our present society, this is very relevant,” says Vijayakumar.
Vijayakumar’s earlier ventures are Nagamandala (2004), Aakashamitayi (2008) and Hayavadhana (2011).