Elamkulam Manakkal Sankaran Namboodiripad, popularly known by his initials 'E. M. S.' was an Indian communist politician and theorist, who served as the first Chief Minister of Kerala in 1957–1959 and then again in 1967–1969. As a member of the Communist Party of India (CPI), he became the first non-Congress Chief Minister in the Indian republic. In 1964, he led a faction of the CPI that broke away to form the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
The Communist Party of India (CPI) is the oldest communist party in India. The CPI was founded in modern-day Kanpur on 26 December 1925. Currently it has 2 members in Lok Sabha and 2 members in Rajya Sabha. It has the current ECI status of a state party in Tamilnadu, Kerala and Manipur.
Paravoor Govindan Devarajan (1927–2006), popularly known as G. Devarajan or Devarajan master, was an Indian music composer and Carnatic singer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers in the history of Indian film music. He scored music for more than three hundred Malayalam films, many dramas, and twenty Tamil and four Kannada movies. His collaborations with Vayalar Ramavarma produced the golden era of Malayalam film music and many of his compositions remain ever green classics in Malayalam. His music in the Tamil film Annai Velankanni has received many accolades. Devarajan received Kerala Government's Best Music Director award five times, among other honours. In 1999, he was honoured with the J. C. Daniel Award, Kerala government's highest honour for contributions to Malayalam cinema.
Kayamkulam is a town and municipality in the Onattukara region of Alappuzha district in Kerala. It is the second biggest town in Alappuzha district. It is located on the western coast of India, and was an ancient maritime trading center.Kayamkulam is part of the Karthikappally tehsil. Krishnapuram Palace is located nearby.
Nadan is a 2013 Malayalam drama film directed by Kamal and written by S. Suresh Babu. Jayaram and Remya Nambeeshan play the lead roles, while the rest of the cast are former theatre artists that include K. P. A. C. Lalitha, Joy Mathew, P. Balachandran, Hareesh Peradi and Sasi Kalinga. It was produced by Anilkumar Ambalakkara under the banner of Ambalakkara Global Films. Nadan features some famous scenes from the famous Kerala People's Arts Club dramas Ningalenne Communistakki and Mudiyanaya Puthran.
Ottaplakkal Neelakandan Velu Kurup was a Malayalam poet and lyricist from Kerala, India, who won the Jnanpith Award, the highest literary award in India for the year 2007. He received the awards Padma Shri in 1998 and Padma Vibhushan in 2011, the fourth and second highest civilian honours from the Government of India. In 2007 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by University of Kerala, Trivandrum. O. N. V. was known for his leftist leaning. He was a leader of All India Students Federation (AISF). He died on 13 February 2016 at KIMS hospital in Thiruvananthapuram due to age-related illnesses, aged 84.
P. J. Antony was an Indian stage and film actor. He received the National Film Award for Best Actor for his performance in Nirmalyam in 1974. He was also the first actor working in Malayalam cinema to receive the award. Antony was also a respected figure in the professional theatre field, working with communist cultural and art bodies like the K.P.A.C.
Maheshwari Amma, better known by her stage name K. P. A. C. Lalitha, was an Indian film and stage actress who worked primarily in the Malayalam film industry. She started her acting career with Kerala People's Arts Club, a theatre collective in Kayamkulam, Kerala. In a career spanning five decades, she starred in over 550 films.
Thoppil Bhaskara Pillai, known as Thoppil Bhasi was an Indian Malayalam-language playwright, screenwriter, and film director. He was associated with the communist movement in Kerala and his play Ningalenne Communistakki is considered to be a groundbreaking event in the history of Malayalam theatre.
Punalur Balan (1927–1987) was an Indian writer and a poet in Malayalam. He was born on 3 January 1927 in Punalur, Kollam district, Kerala. From his student days he was associated with the Communist movement and shot to fame during the 'Pink Decade' in Malayalam poetry.
Sri. P. N. Karunakaran, popularly known as Kambisseri Karunakaran was an Indian journalist who wrote in Malayalam language. He was the chief editor of Janayugam Daily, Balayugam, the Novel Pathippu, Cine Rama, and Janayugam Varika (Weekly), a group of publications in Malayalam language, owned by the Communist Party of India. Beside being a journalist he was a politician, writer, orator, actor, satirist, atheist and rationalist.
Ningalenne Communistakki is a Malayalam socio-political play by Kerala People's Arts Club (KPAC). This was the second and most popular stage play of KPAC. This drama propelled KPAC into the forefront of Kerala cultural scene and played a historical role in popularising the Communist movement in Kerala during 1950's eventually leading to the establishment of first democratically elected communist ministry in the world in 1957 in Kerala.
Thulabharam is a 1968 Indian Malayalam-language film, directed by A. Vincent. It is based on the Kerala People's Arts Club play of the same name, written by Thoppil Bhasi. Thoppil Bhasi also adapted the play for the screen. The film had an ensemble cast including Prem Nazir, Sharada, Madhu, Sheela, Thikkurisi Sukumaran Nair and Adoor Bhasi. The film won two National Awards. The film was a major blockbuster and following the Malayalam version, the film was made in Tamil (Thulabharam), Telugu and Hindi, with Sharada playing lead roles in all versions.
G. Janardhana Kurup was an Indian lawyer and communist politician. He grew up in Kollam, and joined the struggle for Indian independence at an early age. In the 1950s, he took part in founding the Kerala People's Arts Club. He was one of the main actors and a co-director in the play Ningalenne Communistakki, which was written by Thoppil Bhasi for the Kerala People's Arts Club. This turned out to be immensely popular play, and played a principal role in popularising Communism in Kerala in the fifties.
Ormakkayi is a 1982 Malayalam drama film directed by Bharathan and written by John Paul. The film stars Madhavi, Bharath Gopi, Adoor Bhasi, Nedumudi Venu, Ramu, Krishnachandran and Kunchan in pivotal roles.
Ningalenne Communistakki is a 1970 Indian Malayalam-language film written and directed by Thoppil Bhasi and produced by Kunchacko. It is based on the play of the same name. The film stars Sathyan, Prem Nazir, Sheela and Jayabharathi in the lead roles. The film had musical score by G. Devarajan. The film was huge hit.
Civic Chandran v. Ammini Amma is a landmark case in Indian copyright law decided by Kerala High Court in which the judgment held that even substantial copying of copyrighted work is permissible under the fair dealing exception; if the copying is in public interest.
Malayalam drama, known as Natakam (നാടകം) in Malayalam, is an important genre of Malayalam literature. The origin of Malayalam drama can be traced back to various performing arts of Kerala such as Kathakali. Drama, as is understood now, is a borrowed art form in Kerala and started with the publication of the Malayalam translation of Abhijnana Shakuntalam in 1882. The field of Malayalam theatre and drama became active by the end of the 19th century. It played an active role in the early-20th-century Kerala reform movement.
Civic Chandran is an Indian playwright, poet, editor, former Naxalite, social activist and political commentator from Kerala. He is the editor of Patabhedam magazine. He was instrumental in popularising street theatre in Kerala and is a strong critic of Kerala's mainstream left.
K. P. A. C. Sulochana was a popular Indian Malayalam playback singer, theatre and film actress from Kerala. She has won several awards including the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award and Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Fellowship. She has also wrote a book called Arangile Anubhavangal.
