Kerala People's Arts Club

Theatrical movement in Kerala

Kayamkulam, Kerala, India

Area served

KeralaFieldDrama, Film

President

Kanam Rajendran

Secretary

A. ShajahanAffiliationsCommunist Party of India

Kerala People's Arts Club, abbreviated as KPAC, is a theatrical movement in Kayamkulam, Kerala, India. It was formed in the 1950s by a group of individuals having close ties with the Communist Party of India in Kerala. KPAC was very influential in popularising the Communist movement in Kerala.

In 1951, KPAC staged its first drama, Ente Makanaanu Sheri (My Son is Right). The songs of this play were written by Punaloor Balan. Its second drama Ningalenne Communistakki (You Made Me a Communist), first performed in 1952, became a path-breaking play in the history of Malayalam theatre. The play was penned by the renowned playwright Thoppil Bhasi, under the pseudonym Soman. Bhasi was underground when he wrote the play. The success of Ningalenne Communistakki made KPAC in the forefront of a powerful people's theatre movement in Kerala.^[1]

KPAC played a significant role in popularising the Communist Party in Kerala through its dramas, road shows and kathaprasangams (story telling).^[2]

References

^ "Frontline article". Archived from the original on 30 December 2001. Retrieved 14 November 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^ "First Ministry of Kerala Government". Archived from the original on 2 October 2008. Retrieved 14 November 2008.