On Monday evening, as the voice of theatre artiste Mavoor Vijayan boomed through the Kozhikode mofussil bus stand, even without a microphone, everyone’s attention was drawn to a motley crowd that had gathered near the exit. Passengers stretched their necks out of bus windows while vendors stopped their tasks midway and commuters stopped midstep.
Activists under the banner of ‘Nataka Nagaram’ had gathered to organise a ‘Nataka Jatha’, a theatre march, on the occasion of World Theatre Day, to drive home the message that theatre activists would not shut up in the face of violation of democracy.
“So much drama is going on in India at present against democracy. It is difficult to live here as a human being,” said Mr. Vijayan while inaugurating the march. “It is the duty of theatre activists in this country to identify the political engineering of vested interests and create awareness against it,” he added. The march culminated at S.K. Square at Mananchira.
Several other celebrations to mark World Theatre Day were held in different parts of the city. Nanma, the national organisation of Malayalam artistes, conducted a ‘drama song competition’, which witnessed overwhelming participation from the public. Dramatist Pradeep Kumar Kavunthara inaugurated the event, while M.C. Santhosh Kumar, regional president of Nanma, presided over. Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award winner in drama category Sreejith Poyilkavu and best actress award winner in HSS category at the State School Arts Festival Nila Noushad were honoured on the occasion. State working president of Nanma Wilson Samuel presented prizes to winners of the singing competition.
The Kozhikode district committee of Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA) organised a get-together near the statue of veteran theatre personality K.T. Muhammed at Mananchira while Natak, the State-wide organisation of theatre artistes, also held a celebration at the Town Hall.
A screening of the documentary N.N. Pillai, the Dramatist was cancelled in honour of actor Innocent who passed away on Sunday.
