KRS Krishnan’s Poorna Suthanthiram, a drama on patriotism, will be Kovai Nataka Sangamam’s opening play on April 18. “I wrote the script 17 years ago,” recalls veteran drama artiste, KRS Krishnan. “Though the play is on a social theme, it also touches upon family values. Drama should entertain and create an impact. It has to offer a social message that should set the audience thinking,” says Krishnan who is the founder of KRS drama troupe in Coimbatore. Poorna Suthanthiram won him the Kalaimamani award in drama.
Seventy-three-year old Krishnan has been doing Tamil theatre for more than five decades. He has produced over 50 plays on a variety of social themes, family dramas, and staged over 2,000 shows in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra, and also in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bhopal. “ Poorna Suthanthiram is relevant even today. We had an overwhelming response in Delhi,” he mentions.
Krishnan bemoans the fact that lack of sponsors has come in the way of drama flourishing in Coimbatore. His troupe had often had to finance its own plays. “Drama has never enjoyed the kind of patronage in Coimbatore the way dance, music or bhakti do.”
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Krishnan discusses how drama has played a key role in the freedom struggle. Gandhiji speaks of being inspired by a play he saw on King Harishchandra as a child that motivated him to always speak the truth.
“Drama has given many films personalities a good start. Kovai Sarala, who is popular comedy actor, has performed in our plays here. Even today, we have an audience for drama, but no sponsors to support us financially,” he says.
In order to popularise theatre in the city, The Kovai Nataka Sangamam has been formed.
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T.S. Mohan Shankar, along with Swaminathan, D. Srinivasan, T.V. Suresh, Jagan, and R.V. Ramani are its founding members.
Krishnan plays an active role in nurturing the talent of young dramatists and actors.
The Kovai Nataka Sangamam hopes to bring back the excitement to drama, and reach out to more people, especially youngsters.
Not just Tamil, it will promote English, Hindi, and Malayalam theatre as well. “Our objective is to take drama to the next generation,” says Mohan Sankar. “We are looking at three types of audience - those who enjoy the play, those who patronise drama and the third category who want to learn drama. They can learn the nuances of dialogue delivery, voice modulation, and body language from Krishnan, the veteran artiste,” he adds.
Krishnan says that Coimbatore was once vibrant in the drama scene. “Just like sabhas promote dramas in Chennai, Kovai Nataka Sangamam will do so in Coimbatore. We want to promote dramas that drive home a social message” he says.
For details, call: 99449-30733, 98422-48001, 0422- 2230930