Abhija Sivakala

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Abhija Sivakala
Abhija sivakala.jpg
Abhija Sivakala in 2018
Born
Education Bachelor of Fine Arts
Alma mater College of Fine Arts Trivandrum
OccupationActress
Years active2010–present

Abhija Sivakala is an Indian actress in the Malayalam film industry. [1] [2] She is also a notable theatre artist and a dancer.

Contents

Early life

Abhija was born in Vannapuram, a small town near Thodupuzha, Idukki district, Kerala. Her father, KR Sivadas and mother, KK Rugmini were both Government employees. She has a younger sister, Atmaja Manidas, who is also an artist and actress.

She completed her schooling from SNMHS, Vannapuram. She joined St Joseph's College, Moolamattam in the science stream only to realize that art was her passion. She then enrolled in College of Fine Arts Trivandrum and graduated in Applied Arts.

Abhija started her career as an animator in Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Coimbatore. She later moved to Bangalore and worked in various IT companies in the field of animation and visual designing.

Dance

Bangalore opened up a lot of dance avenues for Abhija. She is trained in Kathak by Guru Murali Mohan Kalvakalva of Nadam and Odissi by Guru Sharmila Mukherjee of Sanjali Centre for Odissi Dance. She is also trained in folk and contemporary dance forms.

She has also attended dance workshops by Pandit Birju Maharaj, Saswati Sen; Surupa Sen, Bijayini Satpathy, Pavithra Reddy of Nrityagram; Bhriga Bessel to name a few. [3]

Theatre

A couple of years of professional life made Abhija realize that acting is her calling. Playing the lead role in Abhinaya Theatre Research Centre's Macbeth kick started her career in theatre. And since then, she has worked with many Indian and international directors like Elias Cohen (Chile), David Berga (Catalonia), Francoise Calvel (France), Alexandra (La Patriotico Interesante, a street theatre production group, Chile) etc.

NameDetails
MacbethAn independent adaptation of William Shakespeare's Macbeth directed by Jyothish MG of Abhinaya Theatre Research Centre, Thiruvananthapuram. Abhija played the lead role of Lady Macbeth.
Saree RosaDevised and performed at International Theatre Festival, Kerala by La Patriotico Interesante, a street theatre production group from Chile
AutomatariumDirected by David Berga, Catalonia
Once Upon a TimeAn English clown theatre production directed by Francoise Calvel from France
PachaA Malayalam theatre production directed by Surjith Gopinath of School of Drama & Fine Arts,Thrissur
Invisible CitiesA Malayalam adaptation of Italo Calvino's novel, directed by Firos Khan, National School of Drama
Tsunami ExpressA multilingual production, in collaboration with Indian and Latin American artists, directed by Elias Cohen from Chile
Las IndiasA multilingual, multicultural community dance and music theatre project, directed by Elias Cohen from Chile
KarunaA dance drama directed by veteran film maker Lenin Rajendran. Abhija portrayed the lead character of Vasavadatta in this adaptation of Kumaranasan's Karuna and performed extensively in Kerala

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
2012 Bachelor Party Uncredited
2013Last PuffShailajaShort film
Neelakasham Pachakadal Chuvanna Bhoomi Paaru
Mazhayodoppam MayunnathuGodShort film
2014 Seconds Thampi's wife
Njan Steve Lopez Anjali
2015 Love 24x7 Shweta Pillai
Lukka Chuppi Renuka
Ozhivu Divasathe Kali Geetha
2016 Mundrothuruth Kathu
School Bus Shyamala
Action Hero Biju Sindhu
2017SakhisonaHeera MaliniBengali Short film
Udaharanam Sujatha Thulasi
CatharsisSreejaShort film
2018 Aabhaasam Maoist
Kinar/Keni ACP Uma MaheshwariTamil
MurippadukalShanthaShort film
Social awareness film by Department of Animal Husbandry, Govt. of Kerala
2019IdamSoumyaScreened at - PickurFlick Indie Film Festival 2020, India
South Film and Arts Academy Festival 2020, Chili
International Film Festival 2020, New Delhi
Festival Cinematografico de Mérida 2020, Mexico
Darbhanga International Film Festival 2020, India
New York Indian Film Festival 2019
2020ErrorChinnuShort film
2021 Confessions of a Cuckoo Shobha Vincent
Sarcas Circa 2020 [4] [5] [6]
Krishnankutty Pani Thudangi Tamil servant
2022 Pada CK Leela
Heaven SP Revathi Subramaniam IPS
Bharatha CircusSP Sarah Simon
2023 Charles Enterprises Parvatham [7]
Neeraja Chitra [8]
Family Jaya [9]

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References

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  2. TNM Staff, "8 things that make us reject you: 15 WCC members slam AMMA in a strong statement", The News Minute, July 1, 2018.
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  6. Web Desk (1 April 2021). "ബിലാത്തിക്കുഴലിന് ശേഷം വിനു കോളിച്ചാൽ; 'സർക്കാസ് സിർക 2020' ടീസർ നടന്‍ മിഥുൻ രമേശ് പുറത്തിറക്കി". MediaOne TV (in Malayalam). Retrieved 9 April 2021.
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  9. "Don Palathara's Family wins Best Film award at Halicarnassus Film Festival, Turkey". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 28 December 2023.