Ningalenne Communistakki

Last updated

Ningalenne Communistakki (meaning: you made me a communist) 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 the 1950s eventually leading to the establishment of first democratically elected communist ministry in the world in 1957 in Kerala. [1]

Contents

The history

The drama was inaugurated at Chavara, Kollam, on December 6, 1952. It portrayed the transition of an elderly man from a conservative upper-caste Hindu into a Communist. The play was a protest against the feudalism that prevailed in Kerala and it was the clarion call to rise and fight oppression and exploitation. On the 85th day of its performance in March 1953, the play was banned by the government under the Dramatic Performances Act, alleging that the play propagated "subversive ideas" and encouraged the people to "rebel against the government". Defying the ban, the troupe staged the play at Kovalam, near Thiruvananthapuram leading to arrest of all the artists and a case being registered against them. Following an intense legal battle, the ban was lifted after two months. Since its appearance, this play remained the most popular in Malayalam and has been performed more than ten thousand times and has highly influenced the course of Kerala's political history. [2]

The artists

Thoppil Bhasi, then a young Communist activist who was underground for political reasons wrote the play under the pseudonym Soman. The drama was directed jointly by G. Janardhana Kurup and N Rajagopalan Nair MLA. The songs were written by ONV Kurup and G. Devarajan composed the music and sung by KS George and K. P. A. C. Sulochana. The main actors were Kampisseri Karunakaran MLA, Adv. G. Janardhana Kurup, Adv. N Rajagopalan Nair (MLA), O. Madhavan, Thoppil Krishna Pillai (Thoppil Krishna pillai, the younger brother of Thoppil Bhasi acted in different plays of KPAC for 37 years continuously), Bhaskara Panicker, V.Sambasivan, Sreenarayana Pillai, K. P. A. C. Sulochana, Sudharma, Bhargavi and Vijayakumari. Later highly talented artists like P. J. Antony, CG Gopinath and Adv. Kumarakom Sankunni Menon played leading roles in this play.

Patrons and prominent persons behind the staging of 'Ningalenne Communistakki'

M. N. Govindan Nair, Prof. MP Paul, R Sankara Narayanan Thampi, K Kesavan Potti, Adv. KS Rajamony, N Sreedharan (in Travancore-Cochin), K.P.R. Gopalan, E.M.S. Namboodiripad, AK Gopalan, KA Keraleeyan, NE Balaram, K Damodharan, MK Kelu, Azheekkodan Raghavan, Chathunni Master, A.V. Kunjambu, Justice. V.R. Krishna Iyer (in Malabar), E. Balanandan, Prithviraj Kapoor, Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, Balraj Sahni (in Bombay). [2]

Comments and Criticisms

E.M.S. Namboodiripad, in his essays "From 'Pattabacki' to 'Ningalenne Communistakki'" (1954) and "Malayalam Theatre: 'Ningalenne Communistakki' and After" (1973), wrote that one of the major flaws of "Ningalenne Communistakki" was that the Communist characters in the play failed to impress and did not correspond to real Communists. He commented that "They are puppets with no relationship to living Communist activists,". [1]

Trivia

The drama was made as a Malayalam movie in 1970 with the same name with Prem Nazir and Sheela doing the lead roles. [3]

Thoppil Bhasi's son Mr. Soman formed the Thoppil Bhasi Theatres to stage a sequel of this play titled Enum Ente Thampranum (Me and My Lord), the staging date is not announced yet. [4] [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">G. Devarajan</span> Musical artist

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.

Founded on 21 September, 1947 in Kozhikode, the Kerala Socialist Party (KSP) is a political party in India established under the leadership of Mathai Manjooran. Initially a small entity, the KSP gained significant public attention due to the efforts of its front-line leaders. The party became part of the coalition that formed the first democratically elected communist government in the world after San Marino. Within its first two-and-a-half decades, the KSP significantly influenced the Kerala state's post-independence political landscape.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kayamkulam</span> Town in Kerala, India

Kayamkulam is a municipality in the Alappuzha district of Kerala, India. It is located 90 km (55.9 mi) south of the district headquarters in Alappuzha and about 98 km (60.9 mi) north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. As per the 2011 Indian census, Kayamkulam has a population of 68,634 people, and a population density of 3,149/km2 (8,160/sq mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">O. N. V. Kurup</span> Indian writer

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kerala People's Arts Club</span> Theatrical movement in Kerala

Kerala People's Arts Club, abbreviated as KPAC, is a theatrical movement in Kayamkulam, Kerala, India. It was formed in the 1950s by a group of individuals having close ties with the Communist Party of India in Kerala. KPAC was very influential in popularising the Communist movement in Kerala.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thoppil Bhasi</span> Playwright

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.

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.

<i>Thulabharam</i> 1968 Indian film

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.

<i>Koottukudumbam</i> 1969 Indian film

Koottukudumbam is a 1969 Indian Malayalam-language film directed by K. S. Sethumadhavan. The film starsSathyan Prem Nazir,, Sheela and Sharada. It was released on 28 November 1969.

Sarasayya is a 1971 Indian Malayalam-language film, directed by Thoppil Bhasi and produced by P. V. Sathyam. The film stars Sathyan, Madhu, Sheela and Jayabharathi. It is a sequel to the Malayalam film Ashwamedham (1967), and an adaptation of Thoppil Bhasi's play of the same name. It won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">G. Janardhana Kurup</span> Indian lawyer and communist politician

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.

G. Sankara Pillai Cultural Complex is a cultural center located in the city of Thrissur, Kerala, India. It was inaugurated on 18 January 2014 by K. C. Joseph, Kerala's Minister for Culture. The complex is named after G. Sankara Pillai, one of the best playwrights in Malayalam literature.

Ente Neelakaasham is a 1979 Indian Malayalam film directed by Thoppil Bhasi. The film stars Shobha, Sukumaran, Sankaradi and Sreelatha Namboothiri in the lead roles. It won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress for Shobha. The film has musical score by K. Raghavan.

<i>Ningalenne Communistakki</i> (film) 1970 film by Thoppil Bhasi

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.

<i>Civic Chandran v. Ammini Amma</i> Indian copyright law case

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.

<i>Vasanthathinte Kanal Vazhikalil</i> 2014 Indian film

Vasanthathinte Kanal Vazhikalil is a 2014 Malayalam-language political drama film directed by Anil V Nagendran, who is also the producer, writer and lyricist. The film stars Samuthirakani and Tamil actress Thamarai in the lead roles with an ensemble supporting cast of Mukesh, Sudheesh, Surabhi, Rithesh, and Baiju VK.

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.

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.

References

  1. 1 2 "Path-breaking plays". Archived from the original on 2001-12-30. Retrieved 2010-02-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. 1 2 "KPAC : Kerala Peoples Arts Club". kpackerala.com. Archived from the original on July 14, 2010.
  3. ↑ Vijayakumar, B. (16 December 2012). "Ningalenne Communistakki (1970) - The Hindu". The Hindu.
  4. ↑ Path-breaking plays
  5. ↑ Ningalenne Communistakki (1970, Malayalam) | Dances on the Footpath
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.