It’s been a year since the untimely demise of Kannada actor Sanchari Vijay. The actor passed away last year on June 15, 2021, in a fatal bike accident.
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A popular Kannada cinema actor and national awardee, Vijay was known for inhabiting his characters on screen and portraying them with ease and conviction. The remarkable versatility which he brought to his diverse array of roles can be ascribed, in part, to his years of theatre training and practice at Sanchari, a Bengaluru-based theatre troupe, which earned him the stage name Sanchari Vijay.
In memory of Vijay and his close association with theatre, Sanchari is organising a three-day theatre festival from August 5-7. The festival will stage three plays of Vijay, reconstructed with the assistance of old artistes and the involvement of new artistes.
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A still from the play ‘Kamalamani Comedy Kalyana’ | Photo Credit: Sanchari Theatre
Screen debut
Vijay made his screen debut in 2011 with the film Rangappa Hogbitna. Thereafter, he played minor and supporting parts in several productions before gaining recognition with Dasavala (2013), where he played the role of a disabled boy. His breakthrough roles as a lead came in 2014 with Harivu and Oggarane.
However, it was in 2015 that he came into the national spotlight, garnering wider acclaim and appreciation for the film Naanu Avanalla...Avalu. His sensitive, heartwrenching portrayal as a transwoman earned him the National Award for Best Actor at the 62nd National Film Awards. He became the third actor to win the honour for a Kannada film, and bagging National Award for Karnataka after 27 years in that category. His other notable works include Nathicharami, Aatakkuntu Lekkakkilla,Puksatte LifeuandTaledanda. The last two films were released posthumously.
But much before Vijay Kumar Basavarajaiah became a household name in Karnataka through Kannada cinema, he was a dedicated theatre practitioner closely involved with Bengaluru’s Sanchari Theatre, which he joined in 2009.
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“With his interest, commitment and dedication towards theatre, he actively involved himself in most of the plays and became a permanent fixture at Sanchari Theatre, as an acting teacher and a theatre director. Not only did he achieve many things at a very young age, he is also remembered for his noble deeds even during the time of his demise,” the troupe said, referring to the donation of his vital organs after his passing.
Plays in the pipeline
The festival, starting from August 5, will be inaugurated by theatre director Suresh Anagalli, writer Vasudhendra and theatre organiser Srinivas G Kappana. Directed by Managala N, the plays are Sridevi Mahatme on August 5, Narigaligeke Kodilla? (a children’s play) on August 6 and Kamalamani Comedy Kalyana on August 7. The performances will be staged at Kalagrama, Bengaluru at 7 p.m.
About Sanchari Theatre
Established in 2014, Sanchari Theatre is a leading theatre group in Bengaluru actively engaged in the promotion of theatre activities, productions, workshops on acting, theatre music and design along with a focus on children’s theatre.
The group has produced 29 plays in its 18 years of existence, with each production conceived and driven by the acute awareness of the role of theatre in today’s times. Sanchari productions have experimented with full length plays, solo performances, space-specific work, children’s theatre as well as comedic plays.