When life hits you hard, what matters is how you stand up and face it with a heart full of confidence. A group of wheelchair-bound musicians-turned-actors is set to show the world exactly that by acting in a play. Chaya, the 40-minute-long play which is scripted and directed by V. T. Ratheesh, will have nine wheelchair-bound artistes.
It all started with the secretary of the renowned theatre group Suvarna Theatres noticing the members of the karaoke group Thanal – Freedom on Wheels, and asking V. T. Ratheesh if he could work on a script to feature those artistes. Thus, Sarath Padippura, Martin Nettoor, Anju Rani, Dhanya Gopinath, Shanu Navas, Sunil Muvattupuzha, Renjith Piravom, Saji Vagamon and Unni Max became part of the project. They claim that Chaya will be the first play featuring only differently-abled actors to be staged in India.
“When we had our first meeting at Sarath’s house, every artiste from Thanal was there. They were all ready and enthusiastic to be part of the play. The energy that I saw in them was the main reason why I decided to write this play. Not everyone has that kind of energy. They showed no hesitancy or lack of interest throughout the rehearsal camp,” says Ratheesh, who is also the joint secretary of Suvarna Theatres.
Chaya talks about a painter and the joys and turbulences in his artistic life. “Though they all have physical problems, they don’t want to show that to get sympathy. They would never have acted in a play with a sad story. They want to entertain people. That’s what they did with Thanal. So, Chaya was the right play for them. Humour forms almost 80 percent of the play and they did very well during the rehearsals,” he adds.
During the one-month-long rehearsals, getting on to the stage was a tough ask for them initially. But then they found Samrudhy theatre in Vengala where they can perform well without mobility-related problems.
Suvarna Theaters, Valayanchirangara, has won prizes at notable drama competitions and festivals conducted by the Sangeetha Nataka Akademi. So, when Ratheesh was asked to do the script, he wanted to bring a new way of narration and keep it simple. “Sometimes, amateur drama can be hard to understand for the common public. I tried to make it simple and never wanted the audience to look at the actors in a sympathetic way. So, I even added an instance where one of the actors is drinking. Working with them was a fresh and interesting experience.”
Since the project got the momentum, many have come forward, like the Cochin Shipyard, showing their support. Though there is no exact date fixed for the premier show, Suvarna Theatres says it will be in February.
