More than 1,500 artistes from across the country are expected to perform in the capital city as part of the Soorya Festival spread over 111 days from September 21.
Founder of the Soorya Stage and Film Society Soorya Krishnamoorthy and president Gopalakrishna Pillai told a press conference here on Wednesday that film buffs and lovers of the arts would be treated to a potpourri of films, videos, painting, dance and music, plays, religious discourses, chamber concerts, elocution and poetry and story telling over the course of the festival.
Atmakatha directed by Premlal will be the inaugural film of the festival. Other films to be screened include Punyam Aham, Ividam Swargamaanu, Raamaanam, Kerala Café, Aagathan, Loud Speaker, Palerimanikyam, Oru Paathiraa Kolaaathakathinde Katha, Pathaam Nilayile Theevandi, Neelathamara, Katha Thudarunnu, Kutty Sraanku, Yuga Purushan and Vinnaithaandi Varuvaya (Tamil).
The Indian Panorama section to be screened from November 21 to 30 includes Hindi films Rajneethi, 3 Idiots, My Name is Khan, Raavan , Tamil films Ayirathil Oruvan, Angadi theru, Goa, Pokisham and Unnaipol Oruvan and Malayalam films Makaramanju, Elektra, Apoorvaraagam, Orunal Varum, Paattinte Palazhi and Sadgamaya .
The dance and music festival will take off with a concert by K.J. Yesudas on October 1. The 10-day event will feature Odissi, Bharathanatyam, Carnatic music, Kathak, fusion and dance ballet by Padma Subramaniam, Rajendra Gangani, Lakshmi Gopalaswamy, Neyveli Santhanagopalam and Sanjay Subramaniam.
This year's festival will have two new events, a Ghazal Mela and an exclusive Carnatic Music programme, both of five-day duration. Mr. Krishnamoorthy said senior stage and screen artiste Khadeeja would be honoured during the festival. “We are planning to offer financial assistance to the indigent actress,” he added.
Parinayam on stage
Parinayam , a stage adaptation of M.T. Vasudevan Nair's work directed by Mr. Krishnamoorthy, will signal the commencement of the 10- day drama festival beginning on October 11. Twelve other plays will also be staged during the festival.
A highlight of the painting exhibition, titled Chitrakalagramam, will be a display of sketches by Sheeba, a physically challenged girl. Fifty artists will display their works at the exhibition.
A fusion of Carnatic symphony, Bharatanatyam, sushiri and violin, named Muttathe Mulla, will be staged from October 28 to 31. Prominent religious leaders will take part in four-day religious discourse, Samasya.
Noted singers Gayatri, Manjari, Dattatraya L. Velankar, Mita Pandit, Sagarika Pradhan, Neha Sasikumar, Ramesh Narayanan, Umbai, Shahabaz Aman, Jitesh and Lalit Mohan are expected to participate in the chamber concert programme designed to offer an intimate theatre experience.
Mr. Krishnamoorthy said the Soorya Festival would be extended to more places as part of a drive to decentralise the event. “While Thiruvananthapuram will remain the main venue, satellite festivals would be organised at Chennai, Bangalore, Puducherry, Mumbai, Dombivili, New Mumbai and New Delhi, as well as 10 other districts in Kerala. Film festivals will also be organised in five villages across the State”.
The festival will end on January 10, 2011, with a stage show titled ‘Dwayam'.
