The first ever A. Shanthakumar Award for theatre was presented to noted playwright and director K.R. Ramesh in Kozhikode on Monday. The award was given by J. Shailaja, a theatre personality and the State General Secretary of Natak, the organisation of theatre personalities in Kerala. The event was organised as a part of 'Ashantham', a commemoration meeting for playwright A. Shanthakumar organised by Natak on the occasion of his first death anniversary.
State vice-president of Natak P.J. Unnikrishnan, who introduced the award recipient, said that Mr. Ramesh was quite similar to Shanthakumar in more ways than one, starting from their passion for theatre that forced them to give up careers in other fields. “They both considered theatre as their life,” he said.
Earlier in his inaugural address, writer K. Sreekumar pointed out that Shathakumar was a playwright who did not compromise his ideologies and stands. Moreover, he thought of his fellows before himself, even when he was not in a position to do so, Mr. Sreekumar added, recalling an incident in which Shanthakumar was striving to aid the treatment of another theatre personality when he himself was ailing.
Mr. Sreekumar said that the best tribute to the late playwright and director was not any commemoration address, but an anthology of his works. The complete anthology of Shanthakumar was being published by the Kerala Sahitya Academi and will be out in a few months, he said.
District treasurer of Natak Shibu Moothatt, in his presidential address, explained how keeping the ideals upheld by Shanthakumar was necessary for the theatre community in the State.
Theatre personality Arun Lal, who bagged the State film award for choreography recently for 'Chavittu', was honoured on the occasion. 'The Villainmar', a play directed by Arun Lal under the banner of Little Earth School of Theatre was staged on the occasion.
