A spotlight on the state

There are those who create art for art’s sake, and then there are those who take it as a tool to positively impact society. A man who falls in the latter category is G. Kumara Swamy, a theatre personality whose goal is to unite countries and cultures through art.

The native of Koppur village, Warangal district, recently received the prestigious Telangana State-level Award, for his contribution to the field of Theatre Arts over the past 25 years, at the hands of Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao. 

Swamy, who hails from a traditional folk-theatre family, has a bachelor’s degree in Computer Applications, but his heart lies in the performing arts.

“Imagination and improvisation, these two skills define “folk”, according to me. While I was completing my graduation, I realised that I had these skills in me. So I started studying theatre thereafter. After completing a PG diploma in Theatre Arts, my perspective of theatre changed completely,” Swamy says.

The thespian worked as a lecturer at IIIT Hyderabad, and he provided his services as a guest lecturer at the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts and Honghu College, Beijing. He was the first Indian theatre actor-director to perform with Peking University at the Institute of World Theatre in Beijing, China.

Talking about some of his most recent projects, he says, “We have conducted many experiments under an initiative called Planet G. One example is Shakespeare’s Tempest presented in the Telugu style of drama.”

Another one of his experiments, The Monkey Kings of Oggukatha, a play which combines elements from Indian and Chinese cultural contexts, was widely appreciated by members of the Indian Embassy in Beijing, and members of the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi. Swamy has been credited with attempting to strengthen the friendship between the two nations by fostering an understanding and respect for each others’ cultures.

“My ultimate goal is to create a visualisation of Telangana’s theatre in different styles. Culture is the only thing that connects us. I am also planning Haryangana a collaborative project that will bring to life Haryana’s concept of the Bhagavad Gita and Telangana’s concept of Bathukamma,” he says.

Swamy has managed to form a network of connections across the globe. He is currently planning an intercultural theatre and film project with China, Sweden and other Asian countries.