KOCHI: Santhosh Keezhattoor, the stage and cine artist, will perform his famed one-actor play Pen Nadan on November 1 at Kerala Fine Arts Society Hall here to help raise funds to support the ailing author Thomas Joseph.
The play, which had been staged across the world and various parts of Kerala since its first-ever staging in Kochi in 2015, would be thus returning to Kochi and this time with a noble cause. To be organised jointly by the Friends of Thomas Joseph, an informal get-together of the Akademi award-winning story writer and Kerala Fine Arts Society, the staging of the much-loved one-actor play will begin at 7 pm on Keralappiravi day.
Thomas Joseph, who had created a niche for himself with his unique short stories with intrinsic details, was paralysed and hospitalised on September 15. Convalescing at Rajagiri Hospital in Aluva, the beloved writer of many had undergone a successful brain surgery but was asked to remain hospitalised for the expensive and unavoidable follow-up treatment. He is expected to be hospitalised for another two months for the remaining treatment and physiotherapy. Expenses of nearly Rs 4 lakh have been incurred for the treatment, while much more is needed for future treatment.
Thomas Joseph was a librarian cum proofreader with Chandrika daily in the early 90’s and stopped working due to health reasons while he was working in the dispatch section of the The New Indian Express in Kochi. Currently, his wife is the only breadwinner in the family who is working at the canteen of ISRO Kochi centre in Keezhmadu. Their only son, who is also into the theatre, recently graduated and is yet to get a suitable job. Santhosh Keezhattoor, P F Mathews, Kerala Fine Arts Society Secretary T P Ramesh, George Joseph K, C T Thankachan, Hassankoya and Johnson V Devassy, a few among the Friends of Thomas Joseph, told media persons that the staging of the play will be organised as a fundraiser.
Santhosh Keezhattoor, a theatre artist for nearly 25 years now, has acted in more than 25 popular movies including Vikramadithyan, Ennum Eppozhum, Loham, Patthemari, Pulimurugan, Kammarasambhavam, Odiyan among others. Winner of the State Award for the Best Theater Actor in 2006, he was also part of Mallika Sarabhai’s Darpana Theatre and was a leading actor in more than ten eminent stage productions.
The organisers said the staging will be arranged in cooperation with various socio-cultural organisations in the city and requested one and all to help the noble cause with their contributions. For more details, contact Johnson V Devassy (9447585046).