“ An actor without ingenuity is not an actor at all. Only if one touches the soul of a character and imbibe it using one’s own creative acumen, can he or she become a real artist.”
Excerpt from the autobiography, “ Oru Nadande Aathmakadha” by Sebastian Kunjukunju Bhagavathar.
One day in the 1920s, a teenager was eagerly waiting to see his uncle’s drama troupe perform on the stage. Unexpectedly, his uncle called him and instructed him to put on makeup and go on the stage as a substitute for an absentee actor. The teenager was astounded. He had never taken part in any rehearsals except as a spectator. But he could not say “no” to his uncle’s urgent persuasions. Hence, he agreed half- heartedly, put on the makeup and appeared on the stage nervously. His melodious singing, versatile and natural acting, handsome appearance made a profound impression on the audience that he won their highest commendations. Neither he, nor anyone considered this episode to set a new course in his life. The boy was none other than the multitalented actor, Sebastian Kunjukunju Bhagavathar.
His odyssey as an actor started while he was a student in St. Albert’s High School, Ernakulam. He was often the hero in several historical and religious dramas and won great appreciation from his school mates and teachers.. During this time, he, along with some of his friends, started a ‘Music Club’ in a rental building. His friend, K.V. Naidu who was a good percussionist,( Indian percussion instrument tabla being his speciality) used to frequently visit the club and was closely associated with their programmes. The young Sebastian used to attend the Tamil plays performed by Naidu’s friend Moideen Sahib’ and his troupe’ in Ernakulam. One day, Sebastian had to stand in for the troupe’s absentee harmonist and perform before an audience. Though his role was only to play harmonium and sing, it was his first association with a drama troupe and his first real experience and performance on the stage. That day he won rapturous praises from the audience. They were so impressed by the performance of this gifted adolescent that they personally met and congratulated him. According to Kunjukunju Bhagavathar, it was this sincere love and encouragement of the audience that inspired him to pursue theatre as a profession at a time drama was looked down by educated, elite, orthodox Christian community. Sebastian toured with the drama troupe in various places in Tamil Nadu for several months. Being a person who led a devout and organised life, Sebastian found it difficult to adapt to the life of drunken revelry his fellow troupe mates engaged in. Soon he parted ways with the drama troupe and returned home.
It was during this period that Sebastian’s uncle Pouleenj started a drama troupe and he had an opportunity to stand in for an absentee actor and perform an important role on the stage. Though the audience announced Sebastian’s performance as the best, both he and his uncle decided to keep it a secret and a solitary affair, fearing the displeasure of his conventional orthodox family.
Sebastian’s family was worried about his growing interests in music and drama. They decided to marry him off to curb his interests and make him a responsible person. However, his bride Marykutty surprisingly turned out to be a staunch supporter of his artistic interests.
Her elder brother Peter, along with his friends, decided to establish a drama troupe and Sebastian’s penchant for drama was one of the motivational factors behind their decision. The play selected for staging was Jnanasundari and the lead role or ‘Rajapart’ of Prince Plendran was assigned to Sebastian. When the rehearsals started, Sebastian could deliver only a mediocre performance because he found it difficult to do full justice to the character without any makeup or glitter of the stage. His brother-in-law and especially the writer and drama coach Andrews Master were so disappointed in him that they had to admonish him. Andrews Master even considered removing him from the hero’s role. But Sebastian assured them that he would not disappoint them on the stage. With the curtain raise, Sebastian transformed himself to the character and delivered such a grand performance that he had to take a curtain call multiple times. Unfortunately, the success was short-lived as the drama troupe was disbanded.
When ‘The Royal Cinema and Dramatic Society’ was founded by C.J. Cherian and Andrews Master in Ernakulam, the latter recommended Sebastian in lead roles. With the help of Sebastian, they started selecting other actors and musicians for their first play written by Andrews Master, Parudeesa Nashtam, adapted from the famous epic poem Paradise Lost by John Milton. They auditioned several artistes for the female role of Eve to be cast against the role of Adam played by Sebastian and the search was futile. It was at this crucial moment that Sebastian recollected the performance of Ochira Velukutty and approached him. Velukutty was delighted to do the role. Thus started the success story of the most famous pair on stage of that era – Sebastian Bhagavathar and Ochira Velukutty. Drama lovers flocked to the theatre to watch their chemistry on the stage. This hit duo became the lead pair of most of the memorable plays of that period. Apart from the Parudeesa Nashtam, they acted in popular plays like, Jnanasundari, Gulebakkavali, Sathyavan Savithri, Nalla Thanga, Harishchandra etc. and the audience embraced these plays because of the presence of the iconic onstage couples. Sebastian became a very popular and much sought after actor. At that time, he decided to modify his stage name. He added his nickname Kunjukunju to Sebastian and came to be known as Sebastian Kunjukunju Bhagavathar.
While ‘Royal Cinema and Dramatic Society’ was flourishing under the competent management of its founders, C. J. Cherian had to stay away for a while on personal grounds. He entrusted the manager with the supervision which Velukutty resented. Velukutty already had some disagreements with the manager. One day, when they were to perform the play Nalla Thanga, Velukutty absconded himself and issued a notice falsely accusing them of withholding his payment and informed them of his resignation. When C.J. Cherian came to know about it, he was both disheartened and furious that he immediately dismissed the troupe.Afterwards Kunjukunju Bhagavathar occasionally acted with other drama troupes till he joined as lead actor in the ‘ Brahmavilasam Natakasabha’ managed by Anjal Keezhoottu Ramakrishna Pillai. At the same time, he used to closely associate himself with ‘ Kalasevadalam’ drama troupe run by his friend Francis Chammini. It was the first drama troupe to cast a Malayali woman in the role of a heroine. Thus he acted with the pioneer Malayalam heroine of the stage, Lakshmi, whose entry marked a great change in the history of Malayalam theatre.
Sebastian Kunjukunju Bhagavathar collaborated with Velukutty and Nanu Pillai to perform the first ever play adapted on a Malayalam literary piece in the history of drama. Usually the plays those were staged till then were adapted from the popular plays of Tamil drama troupes. The play was Karuna, based on the famous Khandakavya of the same name by the famous poet Kumaran Asan and adapted for stage by Swami Brahmavrathan. Karuna marked the transition of Malayalam plays where audience was introduced to an ordinary Buddhist monk with a shaved head and plain clothes, chanting prayers, when they were expecting the usual flamboyant entry of the hero, more often a king, with a musical performance and adorned in all the stage finery. And it also introduced a seductive and sensuous courtesan in the place of the stereotype roles of dancing, singing royal queens. This drastic change was welcomed by the audience with immense enthusiasm and the general opinion among them was that a revolutionary transformation had taken place in Malayalam drama industry, giving it a new direction.
The eminent dramatist and writer, T.N. Gopinathan Nair has written in the preface of Nadakasmaranakal by Kunjukunju Bhagavathar about his delight at seeing Kunjukunju Bhagavathar’s role of Upagupthan in Karuna. He writes, “It is a rare sight to see Sebastian as the Buddhist hermit, Upagupthan, a symbol of hope. Ochira Velukutty’s Vasavadatta is equally divine. After amputating her limbs, the beautiful Vasavadatta has been thrown into the wilderness, and Upagupthan comes to provide her the final eternal salvation. Upagupthan’s almost spiritual musings capture the audience’s hearts the way only a performance by Kunjukunju Bhagavathar could do. His crystal-clear vocals and the musical rhythm in its delivery are unparalleled. The chubby cheeks and creases in the wide forehead celebrate the emotion as it ripples through”. According to C.J. Thomas, the literary critic and playwright who initiated modernity to Malayalam theatre, it was a great achievement to introduce successfully an unexciting shaven-headed Buddhist monk in plain clothes in place of glamorous kings like Kovalan and Akbar draped in finery. In a period when drama was considered mainly to display coquettish behaviour of Gods and Kings for entertainment, Upagupthan with his noble thoughts and profound philosophy marked a revolutionary change.
Just as the success of Karuna won laurels and praises, it also provoked envy and opposition among the other artists, supporters and some sections of the media. The detractors complained that the play, as well as the role played by Velukutty, has brought disgrace and dishonour to Vasavadatha as originally depicted by Kumaran Asan. The supporters and opponents were so strong in their responses that even the prominent writers of literary and dramatic world were dragged in. Finally, a proposal was suggested where Kunjukunju Bhagavathar’s troupe had to perform Karuna and Savithri Sathyavan on the same stage, one after the other. It was a fiery and difficult ordeal for both Kunjukunju Bhagavathar and Velukutty. Sathyavan’s role was that of a love struck prince where as Upagupthan was a selfless ascetic. Similarly, Savithri was an innocent morally upright woman and Vasavadatha, a sensuous harlot. Both Kunjukunju Bhagavathar and Velukutty accepted the challenge and acted the antithetical roles effectively and conclusively. The audience were awestruck by their brilliant performance. E.V. Krishna Pillai the prominent writer, and C.V. Kunhiraman the author and founder of Kerala Kaumudi Daily who had come to pronounce a judgment on their performance, entered the stage and bestowed the highest praise and awarded them gold medal and plaque of honour. In the following address, C.V. Kunhiraman spoke at length reviewing the play and the performance of the actors. He went on to elaborate that Parabrahmodaya Sangeetha Nadana Sabha had never brought dishonour to Kumaran Asan’s Karuna but had raised it to new heights. Karuna was performed for seven years on more than seven thousand stages across India and also in Sri Lanka.
When T.T.Thomas,Kunjukunju Bhagavathar’s brother-in-law, formed a drama company called Kairali Nadanakala Samithi, they decided to approach Swami Brahmavrathan for the script. He selected the legendary tragedy of Anarkali. The role of Prince Salim was played by Kunjukunju Bhagavathar and Anarkali was portrayed by actress Shivani. The play was a masterstroke and the performance of Kunjukunju Bhagavathar and Shivani won wide acclaim. When the play was staged at Central Theatre in Ernakulam, the Queen of Cochin Royal state agreed to inaugurate it. Her Royal Highness was so impressed by Kunjukunju Bhagavathar’s portrayal of Prince Salim that she rewarded him with a gold-plated sword. His performance also won the heart of K.C.Mamman Mappila, the editor of Malayala Manorama and a patron of art and literature, when it was staged in Kottayam. Kairali Nadanakala Samithi staged two more plays – Shakunthalam and Magdalena Mariam. Samithi also started casting women for female roles which marked a major transition in the history of Malayalam drama. In Magdalena Mariam, Kunjukunju Bhagavathar played a double role, King Antipas and Jesus Christ.
In 1935, E.V.Krishna Pillai, wrote a play for Kunjukunju Bhagavathar and Velukutty on their special request. It was Thilothama based on the novel Vendetta by the noted British novelist Marie Corelli. The play won high opinion among audience at its first performance itself. The lead part played by Kunjukunju Bhagavathar and the heroine’s role by Velukutty merited special mention.
In 1937, Kunjukunju Bhagavathar and Velukutty started a drama troupe in partnership. They named it ‘Parabrahmodaya Sangeetha Nadanasabha’. They decided to avoid staging the same old repetitive dramas and introduce unconventional but socially responsible stories. Thus they staged, Kshethra Pravesanam and Raveendran. The first one could not generate expected recognition, but the latter was remarked for the twist introduced in the second half of the play where the hero, Kunjukunju Bhagavathar had to masquerade as a female and Velukutty, the heroine as a male.
Soon disagreement between Kunjukunju Bhagavathar and Velukutty caused them to part ways. Kunjukunju Bhagavathar agreed to act in the play Rajaputhra Raktham, a historical dramaby another drama troupe. It was a heroic story with a tragic ending and the audience welcomed it with total enthusiasm.
Meanwhile Kunjukunju Bhagavathar wanted to have his own drama troupe. Hence, he started ‘ Kairali Kusumam, a drama company. The cast includes the famous female artiste C.K. Rajam and introduced a new actress Mavelikkara Ponnamma. They staged the famous historical drama Rajaputhra Raktham which was renamed as ‘ Amrutha Pulinam’. According to Kunjukunju Bhagavathar, the fame of the play was such that they staged it for three continuous years with houseful. The play ends with the scene where the hero (Kunjukunju Bhagavathar) and heroine ( C.K. Rajam) deliver heart- rending dialogues and end their lives by leaping into the river. Both of them were so involved in acting that by the time they act out the emotion charged scene, they will both fall down fainted.
When Kairali Kusumam was in its third year, Kunjukunju Bhagavathar was offered the hero role in his first film, Jnanambika. After completing the film project, he returned home and joined the drama troupe organised by Athukattu Ramakrishna Pillai. There he was overjoyed to see his old friend and co-artist, Velukutty. Ramakrishna Pillai wanted to stage the old dramas like Karuna, Shakunthalam , Thilothama, etc, made popular by the acting duo Kunjukunju Bhagavathar and Velukutty. The audience thronged these shows to see their favourite duo on the stage. But after a year, Velukutty left the troupe and Kunjukunju Bhagavathar continued playing lead roles with a female artiste as the heroine for a year more.
Kunjukunju Bhagavathar immersed himself in restoring his own troupe which he had disbanded when he went to act in the film. With the then famous actress Chellamma playing the heroine, they staged Amrithapulinam and later Ajnathaputhri. Another important play that deserves special mention is Pooja, scripted by Ponkunnam Varkey. It was significant in many sense. It saw a school headmaster, K.K.Thomas, in supporting role at a time when most educated people, especially graduates avoided stage and acting. Through Pooja, the renowned singer K.S. George made his entry as an actor. Though he didn’t stay long in acting career, he became famous singing songs of KPAC. Pooja was also instrumental in many changes in Malayalam Drama scenario.It introduced violin, clarinet and tabla along with the usual harmonium and mridangam. He was determined to do away with the musical duel of the opening scene between the hero and the harmonist. The play was also known for its high dramatisation, brilliant dialogues and prompt humour. The success of Pooja encouraged the troupe to perform a historical drama Iniyum kaanaam . The play was a failure and Kunjukunju Bhagavathar decided to disperse the troupe.
Aathukotta Raman Pillai established a drama troupe and Kunjukunju Bhagavathar agreed to join them. The plays selected for the stage were Pratibha (a detective drama) and Swaraj ( a political drama) penned by the playwright Munshi Paramu Pillai distinctively known as the ‘Kerala’s Bernard Shaw’. Pratibha gained more popularity because it was the first detective drama in Malayalam drama industry. For the next year, the proprietor selected another political drama by the famous poet and lyricist Abhayadev. Unfortunately on the inaugural day, the government banned it fearing political repercussions. The proprietor deserted the troupe and concentrated on another troupe under him. The members were highly disappointed at this action. So they decided to support themselves and stage a drama written by them. The play Subhaga was an instant hit that they got more than forty bookings. The proprietor came back hearing the success story of the play, begged for forgiveness and offered his services. The heroine Mavelikkara Ponnamma rose to fame for the outstanding portrayal of the role in Subhaga.
Next year, Kunjukunju Bhagavathar agreed to act in the troupe organised by Pottakenyathu Velu Pillai. Other prominent troupe members were Augustine Joseph, S.P. Pillai (the famous comedian), K. Rajam, Omallur Chellamma etc. They selected a psychological story Sujatha by Munshi Paramu Pillai. Though the play won great appreciation among the intellectuals, common people couldn’t understand or identify with its story or its ideology. The play was a financial disaster.
Therefore, they decided to rectify this mistake and started the rehearsals for a new play Vijayakumar – a play filled with action, suspense and humour. In this play, Kunjukunju Bhagavathar appeared in six different roles. Though it was a Herculean task to change from one role to another within a short span, he managed it with an expertise which left the audience spellbound.
After a short break when he went on to act in films, Kunjukunju Bhagavathar again became very active in the theatre. He toured Kerala playing the part of the hero in the play Kollakkaran. Next year, his old friend and colleague Velukutty joined their troupe to act in their famous old play Karuna. The same year witnessed the retirement of Velukutty from the stage after a long twenty five successful years.
Thirty years of busy schedule prompted Kunjukunju Bhagavathar to enjoy the leisurely life at home. But after a short recess of one year, he again became active on stage acting in plays like Navodayam, Karuna and Magdalena Mariam (a musical drama). Since Velukutty was bedridden at that time, the role of Vasavadatha was assigned to Mavelikkara Ponnamma. She was very much apprehensive to act in a role which has left indelible mark by the performance of irreplaceable Velukutty in the minds of drama lovers. But, her talent was unsurpassed and soon the audience accepted her in the role of Vasavadatha.
Kunjukunju Bhagavathar has mentioned in his autobiography the difficulties faced by the stage artistes while working under others. Sometimes the artistes are forced to appear in roles not suitable for them, unable to act according to their wish, to dance to the tunes of the producer etc. This motivated him and Augustine Joseph to form a drama troupe. Their opening play was Maattoli, written by the famous novelist Mutathu Varkey. The play had a tragic ending, but it could influence the audience in such a way that most of them left the theatre wiping their tears. The troupe successfully performed more plays like Samrat Asokan and Vijayakumar. But they had to disband the troupe after three successful years because they found it difficult to act as well as manage all the administrative aspects of the troupe. Kunjukunju Bhagavathar’s next projects were in filmdom with the famous actors Sathyan and Kottarakara Sreedharan Nair.
It was during this period that P.A. Thomas, the noted film director and theatre artist, compelled him to join him in his drama troupe. The other artistes included P.J. Cherian whose role of Messiah was legendary and the famous heroine Mavelikkara Ponnamma. Thus they started the rehearsals of Misiha Charithram and Pathonpathaam Noottandu. Kunjukunju Bhagavathar had to appear in three roles in Misiha Charithram – as Herod the great, King Antipas and St.Peter. As reported by him in his autobiography, though the role of Herod the great was confined to a single scene, it required tremendous effort from the actor. The king was the epitome of cruelty and evil and he ordered to kill all the boys under two years, including his own son to be murdered.
Kunjukunju Bhagavathar’s last performance on stage was Venattu Veerabali on 29. January.1963. After two days, the love of his life, Marykutty succumbed to her disease and left this world. The trauma it inflicted was so deep that Kunjukunju Bhagavathar bid farewell to his stage and acting career after her death. He came out of his forced solitude when he relented before the loving persuasion of his son-in-law Elias and went to stay with them at Kollam. He used to frequent the church owned by priests of Assisi congregation. One of the priests, Rev.Fr. Foustin befriended him and on his special request, Kunjukunju Bhagavathar agreed to oversee the rehearsals of their arts club’s (Assisi Arts) play St.Sebastian. He continued to work with them as their mentor till his last days because his major desire and prayer was to contribute for the betterment of art throughout his life.
References:
Oru Nadande Aatmakadha by Sebastian Kunjukunju Bhagavathar
Kalavediyil by Sebastian Kunjukunju Bhagavathar
Nadaka Smaranakal by Sebastian Kunjukunju Bhagavathar
Rajapart by Dr. K. Sreekumar
Sebasstian Kunjukunju Bhagavathar : A biography by Dr. Sreekumar
Cinema: Charithravum Kalavum by Dr. Aravindan Vallachira.
Sebastian Kunjukunju Bhagavathr by Nelson FernandedEnde Atmakadha by
Alleppey Vincent
Ende Diary by T.N. Gopinathan Nair