Translation
Ramachandra Deva,
Mangalore
Friday, November 09, 2007
Friday, August 17, 2007
MAHACHAITRA - THE GREAT SPRING (2007)
Dedicated to Vinod Cherady...
Script by Prof. H. S Shivaprakash
Translation by Sreekala Sivasankaran
Design and Direction by Samkutty Pattomkary
MAHACHAITRA-THE GREAT SPRING
The caste system with its inherent hierarchy and discriminations is negation of democratic society. It has been widely criticized by various social movements at various times in Indian history. A unique response in this regard, rooted in the social reformation inaugurated by Basavanna, the 12th century poet-saint of Karanataka, had far-reaching effect upon the social life of the sub-continent. In his proclamations, Basavanna recognised the worth of human life embedded in the scum of the society and in practice, he rejected the scriptures and rituals that perpetuated the inhuman caste order. The ‘Anubhava Mandapa’ established by him laid the foundations for social democracy and spiritual refinement. People from all sections of the society, irrespective of caste, class and gender have become the ‘saranas’ of this new order and they regularly gathered at Mahamane- Basavanna’s home. Mahamane gave birth to veerashaivite mystics and accomplished poets of both men and women from the cobblers, cowherds, washermen, brahmans, toddy-tappers etc. 
Mahachaitra dramatizes the revolutionary upheaval of the ‘saranas’ that shook the bases of the social order controlled by the privileged upper crust of the ruling class under King Bijjala. The play opens with the violent protests of the custodians of traditions against the marriage of a Brahman’s daughter with the son of a cobbler. Bijjala declares it a forbidden marriage that will bring disaster to the society. On the other hand, the followers of the poet-saint celebrate the occasion as the harbinger of a new social order…
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Remembering Jose Chirammel
By Samkutty Pattomkary
11th February 2006. Rangachethana Drama Festival at Trichur Regional Theatre. Ratan Tiyaam’s Nine Hills and One Valley was being performed. I was with Jose Chirammel whom we called affectionately ‘Josettan’, our big brother, at a place called Ambaloor in Trichur. We were camping there for a few days as judges for an All Kerala Drama Festival. Apart from us, Manichechi who passed out of School of Drama, Trichur and playwright Anil Bas, Kollam were also there in the committee. Josettan, the Jury Chairman would declare the results on the same day. I told Josettan that I would like to sneak out of the meeting to see Tiyyam’s production again. We were standing in a corner at Ambaloor Junction with no familiar faces around. As I said this, a suppressed cry came out of him. Tears rolled down cutting the frame of his beloved spectacles. Next moment I was in his frail arms in a deep embrace of honest confession. After about five minutes of standing like that, Josettan took that cry back into himself and said, “ Sam, you and me were among the few fortunate directors who participated in the national spectrum of theatre. And look at you, you still insist upon yourself to watch Tiyyam when he comes to Kerala. See, I could not do this.”
Josettan continued, “When I participated in the National Festival representing the Kerala theatre, Tiyyam as a young promising director came from Manipur. Both of our works were noticed in their own right. Today, he is a craftsman of international acclaim. And what of me? You know my condition now.” True, Josettan’s Mudrarakshasam enthused theatre lovers in Kerala in those days and even today theatre workers in Kerala would testify this. This play was performed in Natya Samaroh of The Minstry of Culture in 1987. There are so many people who were trained in Josettan’s group called ‘The Roots’ which started in 1982. Jayaraj Warrier, a known actor today, was Chanakya in Mudrarakshasam. Film director Priyanandanan, Nanda Kumar of ‘Namboori Phalithangal’, advocate Vinod (Texta) and Sasidharan Naduvil all have come through the ‘Roots’. Josettan always extended a serious friendship with me. In the 1980s and 90s, the ‘grameena’ theatre groups and activism were alive in Kerala. In those days, I received a directorial award at Trichur ‘Rangamudra’, and that was presented to me by Josettan.
I did not go to see Tiyyam’s production that day but stayed with Josettan till the progrmmes at Ambaloor got over. That was the last time I met Josettan. After that I proceeded to Delhi for my admission in J.N.U PhD program.
Next time when I went to Kerala after a few months, I chanced to meet Tripunithura Unni who was with the ‘Roots’ at Ernakulam South railway station. We got into the Arya Bhawan restaurant and Unni began with Josettan’s news over a cup of tea. “Sam, our Josettan, can’ be saved. He is fighting some unfortunate case over family matters. When I met him, I was tasked to beg around for money to buy booze for Josettan.” As we were talking, I received a phone call from C.D Jose of ‘Nattarangu’. Josettan passed away. Two days before, i.e, on September 17 at Peramangalam. He was lying on the roadside unrecognized. It was following the police notification in newspapers that his body was identified. Come fast.” We rushed to Trichur and to his house where the body would be buried the next day. His body was exhibited at the Kerala Sahitya Academy Hall and was later taken to his home where many people from the Theatre world bade their final farewell to Josettan, the talented senior of Trichur School of Drama’s first batch of students.
Josettan will not cry anymore. He will not quarrel with anyone. He came before us and went back so early. He was just 53.
In school of Drama, he was eminently trained by teachers like Sri. S Ramanujam and he even assisted his teacher in the production of Karutha Daivathethedi (In Search of the Black God) scripted by Prof. G Sankara Pillai. However, Josettan made plays even before he came to School of Drama. Madrigothram, written and directed by him is a noteworthy example in his early theatre journey. It was after school of drama that he started ‘The Roots’ that literally sought to reinforce the roots of Kerala theatre. The Roots presented in more than 500 stages Badal Sircar’s Bhoma, P.M Taj’s Ravunni etc. which got the Kerala Amateur Drama audiences glued to them. In the late 1980s, he was a flame burning so high in Kerala theatre. When P.M Antony’s ‘Kristhuvinte Aram Thirumurivu’ based on The Last temptation of Christ was banned in Kerala, Josettan made another play called, The Cross’s Way’ and performed through the streets from Alappad to Anthikkad in Trichur district. He had relentless passion for theatre. His repertoire includes Suryavetta, Visionaries who came from the East, Yayathi, and productions of Omchery’s Temple Elephant, Vayala Vasudevan Pillai’s Thulaseevanam etc. have instituted his name and style in the hearts of theatre lovers in Kerala.
When he was a popular name for Kerala Amateur Theatres, his style surpassed the early dramatic practices of loud verbatim and he rejected the Parsi theatre styles also. He was bold and original in experimenting with theatre designs and demanded from the newcomers to be committed to the craft of theatre, rather than being mere sensationalisms. As an individual, Josettan presented many complexities for his friends and family. He always remained bankrupt until he received a bulk of about 27 lakhs of rupees from the Ford Foundation for running his theatre projects in Kerala. For a while, he indulged in it displeasing many of his erstwhile left associations. He distanced himself from others or others distanced him, whatever the case may be, Josettan could not yield success out of that sudden flow of money. I would even say that the money attacked him. When I met him for the last time in Ambaloor, he was bankrupt as usual with a sense of deep dejection. Weak and fragile health, overdose of frequent alcohol, yet somewhere deep down, wanting to get back to theatre- Josettan was the sum total of all this. He was infact working on a play for Chiranthana troupe of Kozhikode, which, he could not complete. And when he was lying dead and unidentified in the hospital, C.D Jose remembered, even Josettan’s spectacles, his constant possessions were not on him.
Samkutty Pattomkary
(Theatre Director from Kerala, Formerly an Executive Member of Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy)
11th February 2006. Rangachethana Drama Festival at Trichur Regional Theatre. Ratan Tiyaam’s Nine Hills and One Valley was being performed. I was with Jose Chirammel whom we called affectionately ‘Josettan’, our big brother, at a place called Ambaloor in Trichur. We were camping there for a few days as judges for an All Kerala Drama Festival. Apart from us, Manichechi who passed out of School of Drama, Trichur and playwright Anil Bas, Kollam were also there in the committee. Josettan, the Jury Chairman would declare the results on the same day. I told Josettan that I would like to sneak out of the meeting to see Tiyyam’s production again. We were standing in a corner at Ambaloor Junction with no familiar faces around. As I said this, a suppressed cry came out of him. Tears rolled down cutting the frame of his beloved spectacles. Next moment I was in his frail arms in a deep embrace of honest confession. After about five minutes of standing like that, Josettan took that cry back into himself and said, “ Sam, you and me were among the few fortunate directors who participated in the national spectrum of theatre. And look at you, you still insist upon yourself to watch Tiyyam when he comes to Kerala. See, I could not do this.”
Josettan continued, “When I participated in the National Festival representing the Kerala theatre, Tiyyam as a young promising director came from Manipur. Both of our works were noticed in their own right. Today, he is a craftsman of international acclaim. And what of me? You know my condition now.” True, Josettan’s Mudrarakshasam enthused theatre lovers in Kerala in those days and even today theatre workers in Kerala would testify this. This play was performed in Natya Samaroh of The Minstry of Culture in 1987. There are so many people who were trained in Josettan’s group called ‘The Roots’ which started in 1982. Jayaraj Warrier, a known actor today, was Chanakya in Mudrarakshasam. Film director Priyanandanan, Nanda Kumar of ‘Namboori Phalithangal’, advocate Vinod (Texta) and Sasidharan Naduvil all have come through the ‘Roots’. Josettan always extended a serious friendship with me. In the 1980s and 90s, the ‘grameena’ theatre groups and activism were alive in Kerala. In those days, I received a directorial award at Trichur ‘Rangamudra’, and that was presented to me by Josettan.
I did not go to see Tiyyam’s production that day but stayed with Josettan till the progrmmes at Ambaloor got over. That was the last time I met Josettan. After that I proceeded to Delhi for my admission in J.N.U PhD program.
Next time when I went to Kerala after a few months, I chanced to meet Tripunithura Unni who was with the ‘Roots’ at Ernakulam South railway station. We got into the Arya Bhawan restaurant and Unni began with Josettan’s news over a cup of tea. “Sam, our Josettan, can’ be saved. He is fighting some unfortunate case over family matters. When I met him, I was tasked to beg around for money to buy booze for Josettan.” As we were talking, I received a phone call from C.D Jose of ‘Nattarangu’. Josettan passed away. Two days before, i.e, on September 17 at Peramangalam. He was lying on the roadside unrecognized. It was following the police notification in newspapers that his body was identified. Come fast.” We rushed to Trichur and to his house where the body would be buried the next day. His body was exhibited at the Kerala Sahitya Academy Hall and was later taken to his home where many people from the Theatre world bade their final farewell to Josettan, the talented senior of Trichur School of Drama’s first batch of students.
Josettan will not cry anymore. He will not quarrel with anyone. He came before us and went back so early. He was just 53.
In school of Drama, he was eminently trained by teachers like Sri. S Ramanujam and he even assisted his teacher in the production of Karutha Daivathethedi (In Search of the Black God) scripted by Prof. G Sankara Pillai. However, Josettan made plays even before he came to School of Drama. Madrigothram, written and directed by him is a noteworthy example in his early theatre journey. It was after school of drama that he started ‘The Roots’ that literally sought to reinforce the roots of Kerala theatre. The Roots presented in more than 500 stages Badal Sircar’s Bhoma, P.M Taj’s Ravunni etc. which got the Kerala Amateur Drama audiences glued to them. In the late 1980s, he was a flame burning so high in Kerala theatre. When P.M Antony’s ‘Kristhuvinte Aram Thirumurivu’ based on The Last temptation of Christ was banned in Kerala, Josettan made another play called, The Cross’s Way’ and performed through the streets from Alappad to Anthikkad in Trichur district. He had relentless passion for theatre. His repertoire includes Suryavetta, Visionaries who came from the East, Yayathi, and productions of Omchery’s Temple Elephant, Vayala Vasudevan Pillai’s Thulaseevanam etc. have instituted his name and style in the hearts of theatre lovers in Kerala.
When he was a popular name for Kerala Amateur Theatres, his style surpassed the early dramatic practices of loud verbatim and he rejected the Parsi theatre styles also. He was bold and original in experimenting with theatre designs and demanded from the newcomers to be committed to the craft of theatre, rather than being mere sensationalisms. As an individual, Josettan presented many complexities for his friends and family. He always remained bankrupt until he received a bulk of about 27 lakhs of rupees from the Ford Foundation for running his theatre projects in Kerala. For a while, he indulged in it displeasing many of his erstwhile left associations. He distanced himself from others or others distanced him, whatever the case may be, Josettan could not yield success out of that sudden flow of money. I would even say that the money attacked him. When I met him for the last time in Ambaloor, he was bankrupt as usual with a sense of deep dejection. Weak and fragile health, overdose of frequent alcohol, yet somewhere deep down, wanting to get back to theatre- Josettan was the sum total of all this. He was infact working on a play for Chiranthana troupe of Kozhikode, which, he could not complete. And when he was lying dead and unidentified in the hospital, C.D Jose remembered, even Josettan’s spectacles, his constant possessions were not on him.
Samkutty Pattomkary
(Theatre Director from Kerala, Formerly an Executive Member of Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy)
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