Sam George with participants of the community theater workshop for a blind challenge held in Thiruvananthapuram. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
It was in May last year that Loyola College of Social Sciences hosted a community theater workshop for a visually challenge to social sciences at Thiruvananthapuram. The 10-day workshop, perhaps for the first time in the country, 21 participants were seen trained and staging two presentations at the end of the workshop.
Documentary, Natakantam, Directed by G. Karish, history to this path-breaking workshop. The good news is that from July 25 to 27, the documentary will be screened in the International Documentary category at Cinema Paluja Film Festival to be held in Calli, Columbia. Natakantham India’s only documentary selected for the festival with eight other international presentations. The only other entry from India is in the short film category.
Participant in 3B frames, a community theater workshop for blind challenge held at Thiruvananthapuram. Photo Credit: Sreejith R Kumar
The workshop, called the 3B frame, was organized by APT (A Place for Theater), Ether India, NGO, Kerala Federation of the Blaeth -Youth Forum and Loyola Extension Services. “As a novel venture, neither the organizers nor the participants knew how it would come out. And we shot it in such a way that it does not disturb the conduct of the workshop. While some scenes were shot using the appropriate camera, some were taken on mobile phones. When we were watching the participants dominating their borders, they said that they said that they said that they said that they said that they said Vetapattikalam otakakaram Kerala Film Awards in 2023.
APT’s artistic director and camp director, Sam George, says, “There were many challenges. The devices we use in the theater were not enough to train them. So we did research and came with a module that adapted the existing methods to suit their limits.”
The trainers were theater practices and artists such as Premjith Suresbabu, Janil Mithra, Shanu S, Anoop Mohandas, Reshma M, Sabita Kadanappalli, Gopika and Almelu KS.
Zee Rarish | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The documentary captures gradual but impressive changes in participants. “His body was rigid without adequate movement. So the initial work was to make him aware of what his bodies can do and the importance of gestures as a means of communication. What he learned became a habit for him in five days. It gave us and him confident to fulfill two presentations,” says in the drawing. “
The documentary has vignates how they were trained to respond to the sound/voice. “They can do justice how far a person is to hear his voice,” SAM says.
Since each participant had different levels of visual disability, it was not possible to reach a similar method of teaching. Therefore, he was designed to work with clay to understand their ability to re -create things according to his imagination.
Rahish, who has edited and produced the work, says, “It was surprising to see how the trainers understood them, how much to move forward, where to stand, etc.. The mats of different textures were placed on the floor for this floor so that the participants could differentiate between the blanks.”
One of the productions re -interpreted the famous story of Blind Main and Elephant, which was narrated by Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. The second production was based on the physical theater and had no dialogue. It was himself a participant who composed songs for two plays.
A community theater workshop for the blind challenge held at 3B Frame, Thiruvananthapuram. , Photo Credit: Sreejith R Kumar
The poignant section of the documentary is the reaction of the participants. While some are thrilled to fulfill their dreams of becoming an actor, some others express their surprise at realizing their ability. One of them says, “For a few days I forgot that I can’t see.”
Rarish says that the workshop was also a learning experience for trainers. He developed a new dramatic language. “I was most excited how they are going to use their new talent in their lives. One of the participants, one teacher, said he did not know the importance of body language and gestures in communication.
Published – July 24, 2025 10:40 am IST
