Old fields, brand new stage in Kerala

20 farmers will take up cultivation using organic methods

It hasn’t been long since Kerala’s indigenous rural theatre collectives started moving away from themes built around the people, their culture and politics toward the trappings of the more popular professional theatre. The collectives often reflected the socio-political ethos of their time and came with a unique, seamless blend – of the performance, with the setting in which it was staged.

The character, many times, was also the actor, someone who himself had lived through the life he was “acting” out for an audience; a life shaped by class struggles, traditions from the past or more often, a “culture of agriculture”.

When Bharat Bhavan, a Thiruvananthapuram-based cultural organisation, put together a plan to retrace the cultural roots of folk theatre in the state, the natural theme to tap into was agriculture. That Pramod Payyannur, secretary of the organisation, is a noted theatre professional and activist, also helped the creative processes behind the initiative.

In June, when the south-west monsoon starts to pick pace in the state, Pramod and his team will kick off Organic Theatre, an ambitious project which tries to marry the best traditions of organic farming with innovations in community theatre. The idea is to mobilise a campaign for cultivating organic food, through plays which are written around life on the fields and effective, sustainable farming practices.

As part of the project, Bharat Bhavan will partner with farmers in identifying an acre of land in each of the state’s 14 districts. From each district, 20 farmers will take up cultivation on the land, using organic methods. Bharat Bhavan is lining up experts who will help the farmers with the guidelines and appropriate farming methods.

Over a three-month period, the land will be cultivated while on the sidelines, a group of men and women will practice play and organise workshops to improve its craft. “But these are not two separate groups. People in the theatre group can try their hand at farming and the farmers can also be part of the play,” says Pramod.

Pramod is an acclaimed theatre director awarded for works, including an adaptation of K Shivaram Karanth’s Chomana Dudi. In 2014, he made his film debut with Balyakalasakhi, adapted from Vaikom Muhammad Basheer’s celebrated novel, with Mammootty in the lead. The Bharat Bhavan team hopes to get local communities involved in the two-pronged process, like in the 1970s and 1980s when folk theatre had a distinct presence in farming communities.

 Pramod says the response to the initiative has been more than heartening. “Interestingly, many women have come forward to be part of the project. People are already informing us that the land has been identified and they are ready to start work,” he says.

That theatre was integral to life in farming communities of the state is evident in the genesis of stage variants including vellari naatakangal (cucumber plays). These plays used to be staged around paddy fields and vegetable farms. The buzz around the plays, usually staged during the night, and the presence of people who came in to watch them – “actors” were also picked from among the local communities – ensured that the crop remained inaccessible for birds, and animals. That reflected a rather perceptive approach to farming; it was also an innovative form of cultural engagement rooted in positive, and progressive, values.

Organic Theatre, however, cannot be all about whipping up the familiar Malayali nostalgia for a culture-bingeing Kerala countryside. The project coordinators say they are aware of the challenges involved in executing a state-wide initiative of this nature, especially at a time when even organic farming practices in the state are hit by a surge of uninformed fad-runners.

In March, a three-day workshop was held in Thiruvananthapuram to set the tone for the project. The coordinators are set to involve experts attached to Krishi Bhavans and agriculture universities to help the farmers in the venture. Talks are on with the State Horticulture Mission to provide seeds at subsidised rates.  The potential of incorporating the project in the state’s tourism map is also being explored.

“The workshop was conducted to build awareness on the initiative. In June, the project will kick off at Venpakal (a village in Neyyattinkara in Thiruvananthapuram district). It will be a model of sorts, to begin with, and will be replicated in all the other districts,” says Pramod.

At Venpakal, on the harvest day (tentatively in September), the team will stage Koottukrishi (cooperative farming), written by iconic poet-playwright late Edasseri Govindan Nair and directed by Pramod. The classic 1949 play makes a strong social statement through the lives of farmers, set in an age marked by unyielding social barriers.

Pramod says barring Koottukrishi, all plays to be staged as part of the Organic Theatre project will have fresh story-lines.

“Since I’m involved in theatre, this becomes a pet project. We hope to bring back theatre with themes that are closer to life and closer to what we call the culture that is agriculture. The best way to do it was to start with the villages. Apart from the themes, the narrative techniques and visual language used in the plays will be a departure from the existing styles,” he says.

Pramod hopes to stage 14 plays for 14 districts and later, organise a “festival finale” featuring all the plays. The project is expected to cover the state over a couple of years. The Bharat Bhavan team is working on dates in June for a formal launch for the project.

“It’s going to be a very challenging initiative but we are hopeful of pulling it off. While effecting a revamp of rural theatre, we also hope to ensure some remuneration for people who participate in the theatre activities,” he says.