Pics: Ramesh Pandith
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (RJP)
Mangaluru, Sep 23: A three-day drama festival enacted by Mysuru prison inmates began on Tuesday September 22 with the first drama ‘Jathegiruvanu Chandhira’ which means ‘Moon will be with us’.
The drama festival was inaugurated in the presence of Sadananda Suvarna a renowned theatre artist from Mangaluru, Mahabaleshwar M S the general manager of Karnataka bank, Obaleshappa the prison chief from Mangaluru central jail.
The three-day festival ‘Jailininda Jailige’ (prison to prison) from September 22 to 24 consists of dramas presented by Sankalpa Mysuru in association with Karnataka prisons department.
Hulugappa Kattimani after the inauguration said, "We have been training the prison inmates for the past 17 years. I do not think we have trained them in drama, instead, we have trained them how to live life differently. Life in prison is not easy. We have trained 500 inmates so far out of which 200 inmates have already been released from jails and are leading better lives.”
Mahabaleshwar M S said, "I am touched to see people being reformed like this. I am happy to learn that out of the 30 artists of today’s drama, 10 have been already released recently. I wish the troupe all the best. Karnataka Bank happily agreed to be the sponsors of this drama."
Sadananda Suvarna said, "Drama is a different from other forms of entertainment. One can only enjoy it by watching it. Drama teaches discipline. It brings revolution in artists as well as in society.”
The first drama of the festival ‘Jathegiruvanu Chandhira’ has been written by famous Kannada writer Jayantha Kaikini and directed by Hulugappa Kattimani. The drama made the audience to remain in the theatre till the end. Even after the curtains were down, the crowd remained to see the introduction of actors.
'Jathegiruvanu Chandhira’ is a story of protagonist Bade Mian, a bakery worker who has a family of wife and three daughters. He lives a tough life in the pre-independence era in a coastal village. His two daughters marry against his wish, one marries a poor tailor and another marries a teacher in distant Kutch. The third daughter too disappears one day from home with a boy from a different community. Even after these three tragedies of life are over, he cannot live happily. The nation is divided and he is forced to sell his land and go to Lahore though he says he belongs to this land. When he is ready to leave with his first daughter, son-in-law and wife, wife tells him that she wants to sweep the house before leaving it where they lived for years. The drama ends there with the wife collapsing on the floor. Bade Mian tells in one of his conversations “Moon will always remain with you no matter where you go”. He also tells “All family members will meet one day, but not here but up there.”
Other two dramas will be played on September 23 (Bhagavadajjakiam arthath Sulesanyasi) and on September 24 (Maranayaka) at 6.30 pm both days at Don Bosco hall.
The fantastic acting by the prisoners was well appreciated by spectators.