Puthrikandam grounds in Thiruvananthapuram was the venue of Kalanilayam on 26 January 1963. Kurukshetram OperaWritten by eminent playwright Kavalam Narayana Panikkar, it was the first permanent stage of its kind for theatre, conceived by cultural activist Krishnan Nair, who eventually became known as Kalanilayam Krishnan Nair.
a scene from a play haemoptysis When it was staged earlier. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Kalanilayam continued to enthrall audiences for many years with its vast productions in Malayalam, all of which were written by Jagathy NK Acharya. The audience enjoyed never-before-seen sets, sequences, innovative techniques and props while retelling the stories of folklore and fables.
As the years passed, Krishnan Nair’s son Kalanilayam Anandapadmanabhan and actor and actor Jagathi Sreekumar, son of NK Acharya, carried on the legacy. With Jagathy Sreekumar still recovering from a near-fatal accident in 2012, the responsibility of continuing it was left to Anandapadmanabhan.
Now, Kalanilayam is all set for a new innings. By joining hands with the Aries Group of Companies run by Sohan Roy, it has become a private registered company, and is known as Aries Kalanilayam Arts and Theater Pvt. Ltd.
On October 13, the Thiruvanchikulam temple grounds at Kodungallur in Thrissur district will witness the company’s first production – a new take on its iconic play. blood monster (Vampire), which was first staged in Thiruvananthapuram 51 years ago. “We are staging the first part of the play. This will probably be the first time in the history of theater in India that a play is being presented in two parts,” says Anandapadmanabhan.
adapt to the times
He emphasizes that it is important for theater groups to keep up with the changing times. “Kalanilayam, since its inception, has been a game-changer, especially with regard to stagecraft. My father enthralled the audience by presenting many unseen qualities on stage. They saw airplanes, cars, floods, fires, oceans and more on stage. He gave the audience a movie watching experience and when I took over, my work was finished. I had to take it to the next level without compromising the natural character of our productions. We wanted to expand our horizons and take our plays outside Kerala. It was impossible for me to do this alone. Then the Aries group came,” says Anandpadmanabhan.
Anandapadmanabhan (left) with Sohan Roy, Founder Chairman and CEO of Aries Group of Companies. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Kalanilayam has more than 50 productions to its credit, the major ones being Raktarakshasa, Kayamkulam Kochunni, Kadamattathu Kathanar, Iravikkodu Pillai, Naradhan Keralathil, Taj Mahal, Sri Guruvayurappan And Alvudinam AthabhuthavilakkumHe explains how there were actors in the troupe who were in it because of their love for theatre. “There was ‘Akbar’ Shankarpillai – he got this prefix after starring as Akbar in a production – who could afford to have a personal cook when he traveled for performances. VK Aravindaksha Menon, who immortalized the role of Kayamkulam Kochunni, belonged to an aristocratic family.
Kalanilayam also opened the doors of films for many artists – Meena, Manavalan Joseph, Balan K Nair, KPAC Sunny, Poojappura Ravi, Oduvil Unnikrishnan etc. The latest name in this group is Kottayam Ramesh, who was first noticed for his role in. Ayyappanam Koshiyum Prithviraj’s character as Koshy’s driver Kumaran.
After the death of Krishnan Nair in 1980, it took a few years for Kalanilayam to gain its footing. On 23 June 2003, Anandapadmanabhan and Jagathy Sreekumar revived it as Kalanilayam Drama Vision, beginning with the staging. blood monster In Kochi. blood monster It was remade in Tamil as rara monster night And performed brilliantly in Tamil Nadu.
a scene from haemoptysis When it was staged in 1973. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
After Jagathy Sreekumar’s accident, Anandapadmanabhan tried to keep the company afloat and launched a new division, Kalanilayam Stage Craft, under the Kalanilayam Drama Vision in 2014. HidimbiA new-age production that experimented with stage craft, it was its first production.
“Even though we tried to do something new to attract the crowd, especially the young generation, people kept asking about our old productions. This is because of their trust in Kalanilayam and its plays. The pandemic came and it became a question of survival. When it came to reviving Kalanilayam, Aries got involved,” says Anandapadmanabhan.
He says the initial plan was to stage the second part of blood monster“But many people of the current generation have not seen the original work. So we decided to do it in two parts,” he says.
The first part – famous for the opening scene where an airplane arrives on the stage – tells the story of the creation of Raktarkhas. Lakshmi, born a Vaidya (Traditional healer) Devanarayanan, known as Kadan Vaidyar, is sad because she does not look well. After her father’s death, she finds a cure that transforms her into the woman of her dreams. However, there was another side to the treatment and she turned into a vampire who thirsted for human blood. Ultimately, a magician succeeds in stopping the vampire.
While the first part was written by Jagathi NK Acharya, the second part was written by Anandapadmanabhan. “It’s a prequel that tells how Devanarayanan discovers the after-effects of adopting a controversial treatment,” he says.
sound experiment
new look blood monster The quality of production has increased. “Our biggest investment has been in the strengthening sector. It is a challenge that the dialogues will be spoken live by the actors and they will have to be in sync with the recorded music and background score. It is to be converted to Dolby 7.1 to give the audience a cinema-like audio experience,” he says.
Of the total 150-member cast, there are 60 actors, most of whom are newcomers. “Stage artistes, especially in Kerala, are low in confidence mainly because they do not enjoy the fan base as film actors and they do not have financial stability. We hope to change this by ensuring a stable income for them.”
Kalanilayam Krishnan Nair | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Work on this production has been going on for the last one year. “We decided to start from Kodungallur as that is my mother’s (Kodungallur Ammini Amma) home town. She herself is an actress, she has been my father’s biggest support system. She started doing theater at the age of just 16, that too at a time when any woman entering this field was disliked. “His house has been converted into the office of Kalanilayam,” says Anandapadmanabhan.
An AC auditorium with pushback seats has been built over 1.5 acres and the stage alone is spread over 10,000 square feet. “People will come only if we give them a comfortable viewing experience,” he says.
While key scenes from the original have been retained, some comedic scenes have been removed. “We know those scenes won’t work with today’s audiences. Instead, we have scenes that build horror into the narrative. There will also be situations that will set up the second part. The production duration is two hours 20 minutes.
Rehearsals of Raktrakhaas Chapter 1 are going on in Kodungallur. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Anandapadmanabhan also plans to fulfill his father’s dream of setting up a permanent stage for theatre. “Before his demise, my father had taken a plot of land on lease for 100 years in Kochi with plans to build a stage, a shopping complex and other facilities. But due to unexpected circumstances that plan had to be abandoned. We now plan to set up platforms in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Kozhikode in that order.
Raktarakshas will play in Kodungallur for 25 days from October 13 before moving to Thodupuzha and Ernakulam. There will be shows daily at 6 pm and 9 pm. Tickets are priced at ₹300, ₹500 and ₹700. For details contact: 8714088850
published – October 08, 2024 11:30 am IST
