Abhishek Sasidharan sits with his back to the audience – a hooded silhouette in front of a giant screen, silent, as if in meditation. The intimate performance space is dark and there is a sense of anticipation building. Then Abhishek starts talking loudly and clearly about the Meenachilar River, a river which can be called the lifeline of Kottayam, and that too his own river. He soon creates a world where rivers, humans and history meet in intriguing ways.

The performance, Meenachil R, begins as an ode to the river that flows peacefully through Abhishek’s childhood. But as he grows up, it reveals to him its turbulent history, giving him the stories of generations of people who have lived along its various tributaries.

caste discussion

From a bitter-sweet tale of a childhood spent in the cool, watery embrace of Meenachilar, the narrative soon turns into a powerful caste discourse. It culminates in Manjadikkari, a remote village near Kumarakom in Kottayam, which is believed to be inhabited by people from lower class communities who fled caste oppression and slavery in the early 19th century. Abhishek found a deep basis for his story in author and historian Vinil Paul’s book Manjadhikkari: Olichottathinte Vimochana Daivashastram, Which focuses on the slave trade in the region.

“Manjadikkari was a crocodile-infested swamp. Vinil’s book tells the story of two slaves who ran away with Meenachilar. They were fleeing pain and humiliation to eventually find and build a land they could call home,” says Abhishek.

Meenachil R took its time to evolve into its current form, says Abhishek. When he started work on it 12 years ago, it was like an artist’s aesthetic self-reflection. Born in Pala in Kottayam district, Abhishek says the river is part of his existence. He has already created more than 13 imaginative performative works on the river. But still something seemed wrong. “I formed a team of artists and researchers. We began a river trail from the beginning and tributaries of the river, following the writings on slavery routes for a year. We collected sounds, sights, and objects from the river. In this performance, I attempt to share the ‘experience of the river’ with the audience with my body, sound, sights, objects, and technology,” he says. His creative collaborator and technical coordinator Sudhir C was also a part of the project.

While the exhibit focuses on history and displacement, it also makes us aware of the geographical and ecological realities of the river. It mentions the flood, its surrounding flora and fauna.

a facilitator

Abhishek refers to himself as a facilitator rather than an artist, exploring new forms of expression in shared, intimate spaces. He connects with the audience in his own way, stimulating them, entertaining them and asking them questions all at the same time. Sometimes he would pause in mid-sentence, leaving the audience wondering if he had forgotten his lines. He says, “Of course, it’s intentional. I see it as little emotional breaks. Both for me and for the audience.” He says, “I want the audience to think about and express their socio-political viewpoints, I want them to wonder, speculate, think.”

Abhishek Sasidharan Photo Courtesy: Sudhir C

background in theater

Trained under renowned playwright S Ramanujam, Abhishek has led community-based projects with Theater Hut, an intimate theater space in Pala, since 2004. Active in community theatre, he also trains actors. An alumnus of Freie Universität Berlin, University of Hyderabad, NSD New Delhi and Drama School, Thrissur, Abhishek has spent a major part of his theater life as a design director. This perhaps explains his dexterity in handling audio, lighting, visuals, as well as performing in front of the camera, giving the audience a hyper-real experience. He uses small DC (direct current) lights to play with visibility, light and shadow, showing the myriad possibilities of light. Abhishek says, DC Lite is also a sustainable model.

He has created and produced many notable works such as Fraction, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Pattangal, Floating Bodies, Marx, Bhranthu: A Mediated Performance, IOE: Inheritors of the Earth, Preethabhashanam, and Zero One: An Interactive Performance Project. Abhishek is also the founder of Techno Gypsy Production, a collective and multilingual podcast hosted by him that focuses on contemporary performance practices, theater and art.

Abhishek, who currently lives in Jodhpur, says that he will take Meenachil R.ToMore locations across Kerala. Abhishek recently performed at Mamangam in Kochi.

published – July 31, 2026 11:33 PM IST