THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: When 60-year-old thespian Vithura Sudhakaran embarked on an all-India trip on a 150cc motorbike recently, it wasn’t merely a leisurely pursuit. Rather, it was a means to reach out to a larger population of the country and contribute to national integration.
Having honed his skills in the art of theatre over the past five decades, the native of Thiruvananthapuram has recently returned after completing the 8,700km theatre-on-wheels project titled ‘Ekatha’ – which aimed to raise awareness about the importance of national integration through the medium of art. Sudhakaran says he undertook the solo adventure as a homage to India’s 75th anniversary of Independence.
He travelled across states, showcasing 30-minute-long solo acts that incorporated portions of renowned works by eminent playwrights in several languages.
“As an artist, I felt it was my duty to utilise my art as a tool to contribute to national unity. Not only did my solo acts focus on national integration, but they also addressed other grave issues such as women’s safety and environmental protection,” says Sudhakaran.
“Without any sponsorship, I travelled alone, visiting cities and connecting with local artist collectives to stage the plays.” ‘Ekatha’ is a multi-lingual solo act where Sudhakaran performed a combination of scenes from various prominent playwrights, spanning languages from Konkani to Kashmiri.
The plays featured in Ekatha include Kalidasa’s ‘Vikramorshvam’ (Sanskrit), Rabindranath Tagore’s ‘Gitanjali’ (Bengali), Bhavani Basheel Yasir’s ‘Aka Nandoon’ (Kashmiri), Kavalam Narayana Panicker’s ‘Avanavan Kadamba’ (Malayalam), N Muthuswamy’s ‘Noolkkund’ (Tamil), Sivarama Karanth’s ‘Ente Jathi’ (Kannada), Vijay Tendulkar’s ‘Sakharam Binder’ (Marathi), and more.
Sudhakaran premiered ‘Ekatha’ at Bharath Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram on March 27 (International Theatre Day). He acknowledges the assistance of Professor Abhilash Pillai from the National School of Drama and writer-scriptwriter B T Anilkumar in conceptualising the play.
Learning the non-Malayalam dialogues proved to be a herculean task, he adds. “I memorised voice notes shared by friends who spoke the respective languages,” says Sudhakaran. “I started off without any contacts, but I was overwhelmed by the responses when I staged my solo acts in slums, universities, and public spaces. I realised that art is a language that can communicate beyond barriers,” says Sudhakaran.
“Members of several Malayali associations in various states supported me and provided food and accommodation. The weather, including rain and hailstorms, proved to be the only obstacle during my trip. I now feel complete as a theatre artist, having explored India and taken my art to cross-sections of the population.”