Cold response to theatre day

For a district with a strong theatrical heritage, the celebrations in connection with World Theatre Day in Kozhikode lacked lustre and life. Two organisations, Kerala Life Foundation and Kazhcha, a group of theatre enthusiasts, had organised celebrations on March 26 and 27, the latter being World Theatre Day. Though the invited guests promptly made their appearances, they were forced to speak to a rather empty auditorium on both days.

District panchayat president Babu Parasseri, who opened both the celebrations, made it a point to mention that the newer generation was losing interest in theatre and also the declining standards of what is remaining of Kozhikode’s theatrical heritage.

“Society has a responsibility to promote the theatre tradition and people associated with it,” he said urging the need for theatre to rise like a phoenix.

Recalling the golden days of theatre in Kozhikode and stalwarts like K.T. Muhammed, P.M. Taj, Balan K. Nair, Nellikode Bhaskaran and Kuttyedathi Vilasini, Mr. Parasseri said that there was a time when everyone in the district had been part of the theatrical movement in some way or the other.

“Our theatre had played a major role in bringing about social changes, in making Kerala a forward thinking State and making us socially committed citizens. Our theatre activists had fought war against superstitions and societal evils,” he added.

Honoured

Kazcha had organised a singing competition of songs from old Malayalam plays followed by a get-together of theatre activists in Kozhikode. Though the former was rather well received, the latter, opened by noted playwright and director A. Shanthakumar, was a brief affair. Later, theatre personalities T.K. Sajith and P.M. Shaji were presented the Kazhcha awards. Veterans like Pathman Pantheerankavu, Haridas Kozhikode, Karim Das, Karunakaran Parambil, Naveen Das, Shaji Kallai, Kunjan Chelannur and Ramadas were honoured on the occasion.