Date:30/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/30/stories/2008123050630200.htm

Kerala - Thrissur

Premalekhanam, a Basheerian love story

Staff Reporter

Photo: K. K. Najeeb

SATIRE: A scene from ‘Premalekhanam’ staged at the International Theatre Festival of Kerala on Sunday.—

Thrissur: ‘Premalekhanam’, the stage adaptation of Vaikom Mohammed Basheer’s humorous love story of the same name, reflects the simplicity and warmth characteristic of the writer’s style.

Directed by Surya Krishnamurthy, it was staged at the International Theatre Festival of Kerala on Sunday.

The theme, which ridiculed caste and religious divides that existed in 1943 when Basheer wrote the story, was still relevant, said Amal Raj, who donned the lead role in the play.

A young bank employee, Keshavan Nair, is a tenant of Saramma’s father. Saramma is a young, unmarried Christian girl with a sting at the tip of her tongue. Keshavan Nair is deeply in love with Saramma.

Saramma is looking for a job and Kesavan Nair gives her one.

The job is to love him, for which he will pay her on a monthly basis.

But there is a problem. If they marry and beget children, which religion will their children follow? Finally they decide to raise their children ‘religion-less’.

Again, what will they name the children? They decide to go with names of objects like sky, sand, air, toffee, balloon. Set in the 1940s’, the play, full of sarcasm, attacks religious conservatism and dowry system.

Amal Raj played the role of Keshavan Nair and his wife Lakshmi played Saramma.

The play, which was originally conceived in the arena style, was given a proscenium treatment at the festival, Mr. Raj said.