“All artistes should have the luxury of a mentor who is able to understand them as a person and performer, to bring out their most creative aspects. At Adishakti, we were lucky to have that,” says resident artiste Nimmy Raphael about her late mentor Veenapani Chawla. In the second edition of the month-long festival ‘Remembering Veenapani’, Adishakti presents a collection of music, dance and theatre that they feel “Veenapani would be happy to see”.
For the troupe of six, this has been an elaborate festival to plan and finance. But, they realised it would be a great way to bring focus to Adishakti. In Puducherry, the culture of ticketed performances does not exist. This, in turn, eats into the revenue of the troupe. “We are a struggling theatre company, but we have the infrastructure — a campus, a stage for performers and accommodation to host them. As artistes, we also know how important it is to perform. So we tell performers, if you come to our gates, we’ll take care of you.” Friends and admirers of Veenapani’s work have thus come together for the festival to showcase performances from different parts of the country.
The festival commences on April 9 (6 p.m.), with the inauguration of an art project — Malavika P.C’s mural art ‘Malviki’s Ramayanam: The birth of Sita’, followed by a weekend of solo performances — Nimmy’s Nidravathwam , Kalairani’s Varugalamo…? and Jyoti Dogra’s Notes on Chai .
Every weekend after, Adishakti hosts plays (refer box), and music by Chennai-based BlueRhythm and Oxygen, and dance by artistes Vandana Supraja and Poornima Kartick. All the shows are free. “The festival showcases the multiplicity we see in society and promotes art that is not too commercial, which is what Veenapani stood for,” says Nimmy.
Depending on availability, accommodation can be availed of by audiences. For event listing, visit www. adishaktitheatrearts.com
For details, call 4132622287/ 9487514962.
ON THIS MONTH
Jannal and Seethai Mark Seeyakai Thool
A play by Anand Sami, Chennai
Date and Time: April 15 and 16, 6.30 p.m.
Cheruvannur Diaries
A play by Paul Mathew and Rajiv Krishnan, Chennai
Date and Time: April 17, 6.30 p.m.
7/7/07
A play by Faezeh Jalali, Mumbai
Date and Time: April 17, 8 p.m.
Piya Behrupiya
A play by The Company Theatre, Mumbai
Date and Time: April 23, 7.30 p.m.
How Cow Now Cow
A play by Sandbox Collective, Bangalore
Date and Time: April 24, 7.30 p.m.
How to Skin a Giraffe
A play by Perch, Chennai
Date and Time: April 30 and May 1, 7.30 p.m.
