The University College Thiruvananthapuram has an illustrious list of alumni who have shone in the artistic fields as actors, filmmakers, theatre personalities and more. Most of them have honed their artistic skills in the vibrant collge campus theatre.
After two decades of lull, the defunct campus theatre in the college is on a revival path. Under the shade of the campus tree house, a new crop of budding artistes is learning the rope tricks to the world of arc-lights.
A modest win at the University youth festival triggered the need to breathe life into the club that was once a forte of actor and theatre person Narendra Prasad. “The campus theatre came into being in 1975 and the activities were at its peak during the time of director T.K. Rajeevkumar’s studies. Narendra Prasad spearheaded its activities back then. Lack of initiative or so, it gradually lost significance. In the latest University youth festival, our play Swapna Vetta came third. Now about 70 students are already part of the theatre, when we are gearing up for a relaunch. It is a mission to bring back the theatre tradition where veterans like C.V. Raman Pillai had studied,” says Satheesh G. Nair, Ph.D scholar and director of theatre activities in the college.
Some of the noted names in film industry are products of University College — like Venu Nagavally, Shaji N. Karun, Bharath Gopi, Priyadarshan, Balachandra Menon, Madhu (actor), Sukumaran, Karamana Janardanan Nair and Bheeman Raghu among others.
“Until our students are capable of doing their own production, workshops and sessions to build their talent would continue. An inter-departmental theatre fest is planned for November. Following that, we would start focusing on a play. The ultimate aim is to take the activities outside the campus,” says Satheesh.
At a function to be held on the college premises, actor Alencier Ley Lopez, also an alumnus of the college, would inaugurate the activities on Thursday. Three short plays on social issues would be staged on the occasion.
