When Chhaaya rolled on to the stage

KOCHI: It was an effort that began more than a year ago. Each character appeared on a wheelchair on the stage. But once the story began, the wheelchairs became just an illusion. Each gesture, dialogue and expression were crystal clear to the audience. Finally, their aspirations hit the neon lights. ‘Chhaaya,’ a drama by paraplegic individuals gave a memorable experience.

The drama, conceived by dramatist Ratheesh V T under the banner of Suvarna Theatres Valayanchirangara, is a story of sheer perseverance and resilience. “We found the artist on a music event held at our place. We requested our intent and received an instant response from the group. They were very excited and we finalised the theme in another meeting. But the practice sessions took around six months. We were conscious to not focus on their condition in theme and setting the movements according to their convenience,” says Ratheesh.

On the other hand, the artists never had issues with stage fright. But the preparatory work took a toll. “We formed ‘Thanal - Freedom on Wheels’ troupe,’ four years ago to develop the talents among us and show it to the world. We have been performing at various stages across the world. The practice sessions were tiring. Nine of us were juggling our music commitments and practice sessions,” says Unni Maxx, actor.
Apart from Unni Maxx, Saji Vagamon, Jomit M J, Biju V Thankappan, Anjurani Joy, Dhanya Gopinath, Sunil, Martin and Sarath were part of the drama.

Interestingly, the theme has nothing to do with their paraplegic condition. “The first thing Ratheesh told us was the drama is not related to disability. As it portrays a simple subject in satire, we were excited to try our luck in acting,” says Unni Maxx. The drama portrayed the life of a painter and his mental conflicts.
With the positive response they received, the group is going to perform around 10 stages in the months to come. “Many have commented they didn’t feel the play was enacted by a paraplegic team. Much to our encouragement, many viewers have approached us for events across the world,” adds Ratheesh.

Thanal Paraplegia Patient’s Welfare Society has played a vital role in the execution of the event. Kochi Shipyard has supported the team with their CSR funds. Actor Jayasurya and wife Saritha inaugurated the event. District Collector K Muhammed Y Safirulla, actors Vishnu Unnikrishnan and Sohan Seenulal were also present.