Date:01/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/01/stories/2009010150830200.htm

Kerala - Thrissur

Selection of plays criticised

Staff Reporter

— Photo: K. K. Najeeb

FROM A TROUBLED LAND: A scene from the Nepal play, ‘Agniko Katha’, staged at the International Theatre Festival of Kerala in Thrissur on Wednesday.

Thrissur: Selection of Indian plays to the International Theatre Festival of Kerala (ITFK), organised by the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi, has drawn flak from a section of critics, theatre-lovers and socio-political activists.

The 10-day festival concluded here on Wednesday with the staging of the Nepalese play, ‘Fire in the Monastery’.

The Tamil play, ‘Pari Padukkalam’, the Hindi drama, ‘Dusamay’, and the Marathi play, ‘Atma Hatya’ were criticised for their “clichéd styles and hackneyed theatrical devices”.

“The inclusion of ‘Atma Hatya’, which dealt with farmers’ suicides in Maharashtra, can be justified as it has performed an important social role by touring villages of Vidarbha telling people not to lose hope,” said a critic.

CPI(M) MLA Babu M. Palissery said the festival sorely reflected the alleged inexperience of the organisers.

“Why was ‘Dusamay’ selected? Was it because West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya had written it? I even question the manner in which the play addressed communal issues. I hope the organisers will learn from their mistakes,” he said.

Critic Civic Chandran questioned the qualification of the selectors.

Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi chairman Murali was apologetic. “We admit our shortcomings. They will be rectified in the next edition,” he said.

Writer Sukumar Azhikode’s tongue-in-cheek take on the festival went, “Theatre-lovers and audiences in Thrissur exhibited their high cultural and moral values by not being hostile towards bad plays staged. Let us appreciate their goodness.”