As Malayalam film Aattam made it big when the 70th National Film Awards were declared in New Delhi on Friday afternoon, a theatre group in the coastal village of Nayarambalam at Vypin, Ernakulam, erupted in joy.
It was a moment of achievement and rejoicing as its lead cast and director Anand Ekarshi have all long been associated with this group, ‘Lokadharmi’.
An elated Chandradasan, who founded it in 1991, shared his joy after hearing that Aattam had won three major awards, including best director, best screenplay, and best editing.
Proud moment
“I am proud of what they have achieved. Some of them had been with Lokadharmi since 2004. Though they belong to different backgrounds, the passion for theatre had united them. Anand had also acted in our plays,” he said.
Except for Zarin Shihab and Kalabhavan Shajohn, all other lead actors in the critically acclaimed movie had moulded their acting skills through Lokadharmi.
Jolly Anthony, who works as a tile layer and played the character of Jolly, recalled that he had joined Lokadharmi in 2004 after associating with local theatre groups in Kochi. “The acting workshops at Lokadharmi offered me a new perspective on acting. In fact, it was actor Vinay Forrt who had asked Anand to make a film involving all of us at Lokadharmi,” he said. Some of the productions of the group in which Jolly had acted include Karnabharam,Viswavikhyathamaya Mookku and Lankalakshmi.
Passion for theatre
Sanosh Murali, a percussionist at a temple who played the character of Sanosh, said that his love for acting led him to Lokadharmi in 2004. “The space opened up new associations and friendships that changed my life for ever. Despite coming from diverse backgrounds, we were all driven by the passion for theatre and the conversations surrounding it,” he said.
For Santhosh Piravom, who runs a vegetable shop, the training at Lokadharmi helped him to unlearn and re-learn many aspects of theatre. “Till I joined the group, my understanding of theatre was limited to professional dramas. Though I left for abroad for a while after joining Lokadharmi in 2018, the passion for acting and theatre prompted me to come back and continue with my artistic journey. Today, I feel relieved,” said the actor, who had played roles in web series such as Kerala Crime Files and the movie Jananam 1947 and Pranayam Thudarunnu.
Chandradasan, who had directed and designed more than 50 plays, said that the group had been able to keep alive the enthusiasm for theatre and engage in collaborative works and research in various aspects related to it over these three decades.
