A life on stage

Former theatre actor Seethi Sahib recalls his days in active theatre

Seethi Sahib’s eyes moisten when he talks about his favourite role on stage. As Mahavishnu in the popular drama Naradan Keralathil, when as the curtains went up, all the women in the crowd would stand up and exclaim, ‘Bhagavane’ (Oh! Lord), seeing him reclining in ananthashayanam .... “The joy of that moment is inexplicable,” he says. Away from the stage for a long time now, Sahib misses drama and the way it made him feel.

Living with Parkinsons for the past seven years, acting can only remain a dream, he says. The tremors make him a bit self-conscious, but he feels he can still do roles that can accommodate his condition. “I can still act as an old man.”

A stage actor, who was an integral part of commercial theatre in Kollam in the 70s, Sahib has been acting since the age of 15. Though he completed his pre-degree, he did not take the exams. “My heart was in acting. I remember I received ₹ 10 for my first show in Thiruvananthapuram. Those days, it was a fairly good sum,” says the 60-year-old. He was part of a number of reputed drama troupes and has travelled to many States in north India to do plays.

It was his role as a straightforward policeman belonging to a lower caste in

Parasyam Pathikkaruthu that got him a lot of offers. Soon, he handled prominent roles in Utharayankkili, Vettapakshi, Kireedom Illatha Rajavu and historical play Marthandavarma , to name just a few. He was the legendary Kathanar in Kadamattathu Kathanar. “I become the character I play. It has been so many years, but I still feel close to Inspector’s son Chandran, who used to sing songs, Kathanar and Mahavishnu...Later in the green room, stripped of make-up, when people come and congratulate me for my acting, that is what made life worthwhile.”

Sahib has also acted in television serials and about five Malayalam films; he used to do radio plays as well.

“Those days we took our job very seriously. Two weeks we would be in the camp, rehearsing and memorising our parts. Memory is very important for a stage actor,” says Sahib, whose own memory is increasingly becoming cloudy. But he remembers his very first role. It was a play that was staged on the temple grounds next to his house. “I played a female role.” Since then, there was no looking back for Sahib, who was passionate about acting and the craft. After marriage and having a family of his own, however, drama alone could not support him and Sahib left for West Asia in search of a job. He worked in a shop, and in due course, built a small house in Kollam and educated both his sons.

After his return to his hometown, Sahib was still dabbling in his passion, doing plays on and off. But a heart attack in 2000 threw life out of gear. He had to undergo a bypass surgery, which incurred debt. He wanted to go back to the Gulf, but his sons were concerned about his health and would not let him.

Today Sahib lives with his elder son, who is with the CRPF, in Kochi. He still goes to every play that he is invited to and gets a meagre pension, for which he is grateful. Doctors have advised Sahib not to travel alone, but he does not want to depend on others. His day begins early—4 am. He goes for a walk every day. “I like to do my own things.”