Pic: Manu R Mavelil
Pablo Ibbieta has been awaiting his death. On that God forbidden night he spent with his comrades – Tom Steinbock and Juan Mirbal – he had severed all his ties to the outside world. Neither his love for Concha nor his loyalty for Ramon Gris stood no chance. But as irony would have it, death evaded him and left him to feed on his guilt. The Wall – a cult classic from the French litterateur, Jean-Paul Sartre – thrives on the existentialistic philosophy he endorsed throughout his writings. The title referred to the wall where the prisoners were lined up and executed during the Spanish Civil War.
What would run through the minds of people awaiting their nearing death? Sartre, a hardcore existentialist, deftly brings to light eclectic human emotions in his portrayal of people serving their time inside the four walls of a cellar. A bunch of theatre aficionados from Kanal Samskarika Vedi, is revisiting this story in their latest play ‘Chimera’.
Aromal T, has written the Malayalam script adding his own takes on the subject. The doctor, who becomes a silent participant of the trio’s agony in the story, is much more strong and menacing in the play.
Hasim Amaravila
“The wall is a story which is relevant in all times. The play is written taking into account the current political scenario across the globe so that the audience could easily identify with the characters and their circumstances,” says the director of ‘Chimera’, Hasim Amaravila.
A story based on the Spanish Civil War, The wall (1939), had made a massive impact on the human kind across the globe, with its cold yet heart-wrenching portrayal of prisoners. At a time when wars and civil tensions were as common as rainfalls, the story was easily relatable to many those days.
Falangist forces operating under General Francisco Franco takes Pablo, Tom and Juan as prisoners. Juan, the youngest of the lot, cannot come to terms with the fact that he is a convict as he firmly believes he is innocent. Ratheesh Krishna painstakingly essays the role of Juan, who agonises on his misfortune. While Tom, who doesn’t want his fear to be apparent, keeps jabbering about death, often irritating his fellow prisoners. Santhosh Venjaramoodu, a known name in the theatre circuit, reprises Tom in his signature style.
On the fourth and final scene of the one-hour-long play, the biting cold seeps through the cellar, but the prisoners, who are immersed in their thoughts are sweating profusely. This is when the doctor (Arun Nair) enters the cellar offering them help to get out of their mental misery. But the prisoners find his presence annoying and manhandle him. When the army rams in and asks for Tom and Juan for the execution, the time was 3.30. Pablo, the protagonist, (Kannan Nair), who was awaiting their entry wakes up from his chimeric state and prepares to go with his friends. But the army stops him. They tell him his time is not up yet. He listens to the multiple gunshots while awaiting his turn. But they give him a proposition instead. They ask him for his friend, Ramon Gris’s whereabouts, in exchange for which they offered him his life. Pablo, unintentionally gives the 
address of Ramon’s hiding place, thinking he’s safe in his cousin’s house. Thus Pablo, who had prepared to die gains the freedom he didn’t want. Kannan’s Pablo guarantees to stay in your heart for many years to come. The pain he feels when he comes to know that he has unknowingly betrayed his friend, is palpable. Hasim executes the scenes adeptly making the
play an interesting watch.
Ghost Ryderz’ a motor cycle stunt team in the city is known for its daring stunts and spunky customisations. Rakesh, the artist of the team does the graphics work on cars, bikes and helmets. “We have done around 30-40 helmets in the last 3-4 years. Even before helmet law was enforced the riders used to come for painted helmets. They mostly ask similar designs for bikes and helmets. There are many who come with pictures of famous helmets worn by international riders and ask for replicas. For personal touches some ask to imprint their names or parents’ names on the helmet,” says Rakesh.
of social leaders and my father was a Zamindar. My mother could do all the ‘yogasanas’ until the day she died. So they were quite particular about their children learning an artform. When my sisters learnt Odissi I was pulled into Kathak,” says Jayant, who first performed before an audience at the age of two. It was his rendezvous with the legend Pandit Durgalal, while he was still very young that turned Jayant’s life upside down.
He feels current climate is quite favourable for dance as media and the reality shows give it enough popularity. However, he feels that dance should find the right balance without falling prey to commercialism.
“The change should come from oneself,” says Fathima, a member of Al-Anon from Wayanad. Fathima was married off at the age of fourteen and at a tender age she had to endure the traumas caused by alcohol. “At first, I couldn’t digest his drinking but when the doctors said it is a disease I was relieved. Because I preferred the term disease for alcohol addiction I guess. But even after treatments he went back to drinking, making me lose confidence in treatments and even God. But a member of AA came to our house one day and made us aware of its methods. But the withdrawal symptoms he had shown were intolerable and I told the AA member about it. I thought the state was better when he was drunk. But the member gave me a phone number directing me to another wife who had been going through the same situation for years. That is Al-Anon. The relief I felt after talking to her was quite amazing and soon the wives and relatives of AA members started an Al-Anon at Wayanad,” says Fathima
Mini, a government employee from Thiruvanathapuram, is one of the newest members of Al-Anon. It has been five-months since Al-Anon has started in the capital city and Mini was one of the founder members. It was with her husband Mini first came to an AA meeting and soon the need for Al-Anon was raised by the relatives thus came the first Al-Anon in the city.
According to Kani, except the middle and high class in Kerala, the common crowd wears whatever it likes. “When I see the ladies who work on fields and roads, not worrying about their modesty even in their actions and gestures, I wish I had that kind of freedom,” says Kani.
An Insomniac's Musings 