Malayalam play EKANTHAM To Be Staged At Vashi...Based On A Short Story By Anton Chekhov...
April 5, 2018 11:59:50 AM IST MTG editorial
EKANTHAM is a theatrical adaptation of the short story by the famous Russian dramatist and writer Anton Chekhov. Contemporary Malayalam playwright PJ Unnikrishnan has adapted the story and Sreejith Ramanan, actor/director, has given it an onstage presentation maintaining an ethos specific to the Indian context.
Chekhov's story titled 'The Bet' reminds us to get rid of redundant and conventional practices. Can both the death sentence and the life sentence be equally immoral? To choose between the death sentence and the life sentence is not that easy. Here is a lawyer who chooses the second. EKANTHAM takes us in to the realms of life and its resultant loneliness and how one renews oneself. In the story an idealist young lawyer bets he can survive fifteen years of imprisonment.
While debating whether or not capital punishment is more humane than life in prison, an idealist lawyer and a prominent banker bet that the lawyer cannot survive fifteen years in prison. His prize, if he wins will be two million roubles. The lawyer is imprisoned in the banker’s house and allowed access to books, music, wine and necessities. Fifteen years later the banker realises that he will be ruined if the lawyer survives the 15 years' bet. He decides to kill the lawyer before the deadline.
Mentally broken by years of captivity the lawyer gives up on his bet, walking out of his cell five minutes, before the sentence ends.
This production is by the theatre group Prakash Kalakendram Neeravil based in Thrikadavoor in Kollam District, Kerala.
Music : Chandran Veyattumal
Light : Shymon Chelad
Technical & Artistic Director : Aji S. Dharan
Scriptwriter : P.J. Unnikrishnan
Scenography, Costume and Direction : Sreejith Ramanan
Cast : Smitha M. Babu, P.K.Sreekumar, Reju Sivadas, Rajesh Sarma
Date : 8th April 2018
Time (Two shows): 5.00 p.m. and 7.45 p.m.
Venue : Cidco Convention Centre, Vashi, Navi Mumbai.
*Mumbai Theatre Guide takes no responsibility for change in schedule.
