It was a proud moment for the Kerala People’s Arts Club (KPAC) as its path-breaking play Ningalenne Communistakki (You Made Me a Communist) was staged on Tuesday evening in the city as part of the State conference of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
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A historical play that helped the Communist movement win the hearts of the masses in Kerala, Ningalenne Communistakki was last staged at Chettikulangara near Kayamkulam in 2017, according to those who worked on and off the stage.
“It was really difficult to keep staging the play regularly, and it was mostly performed on special occasions. Bringing together all the artistes was a task, as most of them had donned other roles in life,” said Kalesh, who played the role of Gopalan, son of Paramu Pillai.
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Kalesh, who now runs a tutorial, said that they had a five-day rehearsal for staging the play here. “It was a memorable moment for all of us,” he said.
Staged first in 1952, Ningalenne Communistakki, written by renowned playwright Thoppil Bhasi, portrayed the transition of an elderly man from a conservative upper-caste Hindu family into a Communist. It also has a special place in Malayalam theatre for being the first play to be staged more than 10,000 times.
A. Shajahan, Secretary of KPAC, said that enquiries have come in from various quarters, asking whether the play could be staged again. “As these artistes are no longer with KPAC on a regular basis, it would be difficult to have a long run,” he said.
Stating that the pandemic had hit the prospects of Malayalam theatre hard, Mr. Shajahan said that the KPAC has been able to manage its troupe by continuing to stage ‘Marathan’ adapted from writer Potheri Kunhambu’s novel ‘Saraswathivijayam’.