• October 26, 2018

Rajamanickam IAS and Prof. V Madhusoodanan Nair guests at KALA Annual Day on Oct 27

By A Staff Reporter

LONDON Oct 26: Kerala Arts & Literary Association (UK) will celebrate its 22nd Annual Day on 27th October, 2018 at the Centenary Theatre Berkhamsted Girl’s School Berkhamsted HP4 3BG with a vide variety of programmes.

The Annual Day Programme will begin with Reception and Refreshments, Welcome with Thaalapoli, the KALA Signature Song & Lighting the Lamp.
The other highlights of the day will be
Presidential Address – Smt. Shanta Krishnamurthy
Patron’s Remarks + Chemmanam Chacko Anusmaranam – Dr P K Sukumaran Nair
Chief Guest – Keynote Speech – Prof. V Madhusoodanan Nair
“Palmleaf” Release: Dr. Seena Praveen
Guest of Honour – Shri M G Rajamanickam IAS
Charity Fund activity – presentation by Secretary
KALA Puraskaram presentation
‘October’ Poem – written by Prof V Madhusoodanan Nair. Recitation by Sreekanth Nampoothiri.
Navarathri Vilakku – Dance presentation by KALA
Ottanthullal – by Ajith Kartha
“Vilvamangalam” Dance portrayal – Poetry and Recitation by Prof. V Madhusoodanan Nair
Song  by Dr. Ramkumar
Drama by KALA Youth – ‘The World renowned Nose’,an adaptation on Vaikom Muhammad Basheer’s short story, “Vishwavikhyaathamaaya Mookku”
Urdu poem – by Ajay Chandran
“Naranathu Bhranthan” – A dance drama presentation.
Poetry and Rendition by Prof. V Madhusoodanan Nair
Mukhamukham
Music Night – LIVE orchestra by UK based Indian soft rock band, ‘Karmic Version’
Vote of Thanks – Secretary, KALA
DINNER – BREAK
Admission – Admission to the event is by passes only.  Please find below the prices for the pass:
Adult and children over 12 years – £35 per person
Child 6 -12 years –  £20 per child
Child under 6 years –  free
Family of 4 –  £120 per family (for 4 members of a family of any age group)
Payment options:
Payment by credit/debit card: Please use the link below to buy passes using credit/debit card
Payment by cheque – Please send the cheque payable to “KALA” to the following address. Please include a note with the cheque showing details like name and contact number of the payee, number of passes required, age of children, etc.
Mrs Renuka Nair, 46 Albury Avenue, Isleworth, TW7 5HX
Bank transfer – Please transfer the money to the KALA bank account with your name as reference and email the details like name of the payee, number of passes required, age of children, contact details, etc  to the KALA treasurer at  kalaukevents@gmail.com
Account Name : KALA,  Account No : 10297976,  Sort Code : 40-11-58
Contact Details
Admission passes and payments:
Mrs Renuka Nair (Treasurer), Tel: 07816959424, Email – kalaukevents@gmail.com
General Enquiries:
Mrs Santha Krishnamuthy (President), Tel : 07855 242289, email –pskmurthy@aol.com  Mr Mony Kochupillai(Secretary), Tel : 07782 324709, email – monykochupillai@yahoo.co.uk
Ottanthullal: is a dance and poetic performance form of Kerala, India. It was introduced in the 18th century by Kunchan Nambiar, one of the Prachina Kavithrayam (three famous Malayalam language poets).
It is usually accompanied by a mridangam (a barrel shaped double headed drum) or an idakka (drum and cymbal).
Youth play: A perfect story that defines the Malayalam society with its political and controversial happenings is the “Vishwavikhyaathamaaya Mookku” written by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer.
This story talks about a humble man ‘Mookken’ who experiences fortunes and fame because of his nose which suddenly grew to an uneven length in his twentyfourth year.
As the story proceeds we see the subsequent events that happen because of his uniquely shaped nose. Though the story deals with the long nose, the focus is on the society and their response to the situation.
Through his detailed use of sarcasm and humour, Basheer targets the society that has always been involved with corrupt politics and controversies.
Naranathu Bhranthan: Among the legends of Kerala, one that has captured the universal imagination is the story of the low caste woman who gave birth to 12 children and forced to give all of them away by her high caste husband.
The children grew up to be legends themselves, but one stood apart: he was crazy. His insanity manifested in his unconventional lifestyle – brought up as a brahmin he spent his nights in cremation grounds; his unlikely pastime – rolling a large stone uphill only to let go allowing it to roll down, all the while filling the air with his resounding laughter; and his untainted world view – in which gods and humans have their rightful place.
We know him only by the name of the household he grew up in Palakkad – Naranath Mangalath Mana. More than three decades ago the lore of Naranath Bhranthan attracted a young poet. The result was one of the most popular poems in Malayalam.
The poet, Professor V Madhusoodanan Nair, took the kernel of the legend and wrapped around it a philosophy of humanity. Here we present the ‘KALA Puraskaaram’ winning poet’s vision through the medium of performing arts.
Vilvamangalam: Besotted by carnal desire, a young brahmin, jumps into a roaring river to cross over to his object of love, his cynosure of ultimate happiness. The deluded youth mistakes a dead body for a life saving log and a snake for a rope to climb into his love’s boudoir.
This is the story of Vilvamangalam, the brahmin and Chinthamani, the courtesan. Our beloved poet took this dramatic plot and converted into an allegory of human condition. Like the deluded brahmin, we dive into the samsara sagara searching for worldly pleasures as the ultimate goal of our existence.
And when our eyes are opened to divine reality, objects of our attraction pull us back into the mire of mundane. Professor Madhusoodhanan Nair, recast his poem “Vilvamangalam” for KALA, which we proudly present here.

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