IAS officer bridges theatre and officialdom in Malayalam play

Political satire, which highlights the price paid by a common man for the greed of corrupt politicians and administrators, was brought alive on stage during the ongoing theatre festival in the capital.

Palangal (bridges), a musical adaptation of well-known Malayalam poet Prof K Ayyappa Paniker's poetic drama, staged at the National School of Drama's ongoing Bharat Rang Mahotsav featured Kerala tourism secretary D Venu in a lead role.

Panicker, who had in the 1960s heralded a shift towards modernism in Malayalam poetry, employs irony and humour to expose a nexus between the politician, the contractor and the thug who prevent construction of a new bridge and in the process destroy the dreams and livelihood of poor villagers.

"Theatre is my passion. I used to do theatre in college, later because of the pressures and pulls of my job, I had to give it up. It has been just a couple of years ever since I began acting again," Dr Venu, who is a medical doctor by training, told PTI.

The IAS officer, donned the mantle of a corrupt contractor, for the drama directed by D Reghoothaman and whose cast comprised 23 actors from different backgrounds.

"My creative urges were calling me back to theatre. Work does not give me as much satisfaction as theatre. Once I made up my mind, there was a lot of effort involved, including rehearsals and practice. Abhinaya group is uncompromising and selects actors for their skills, I needed to prove my acting abilities," says Venu.