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G. Sankara Pillai

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G. Sankara Pillai
Born(1930-06-22)22 June 1930
Chirayinkeezhu, Kerala, India
Died1 January 1989(1989-01-01) (aged 58)
OccupationPlaywright, dramatist
NationalityIndian
Notable awardsSangeet Natak Akademi Award
Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award

G. Sankara Pillai (22 June 1930 – 1 January 1989)[1] was an Indian playwright, critic, and director who explored total theatre in a wide range of forms.[2] He was one of the most versatile and towering personalities of Indian literature and the theatre scene. His symbolist works were instrumental in defining modern Malayalam theatre[3]. The Nataka Kalari movement started by Sankara Pillai in 1967 has created some of the best theatre practitioners in the country. He won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award in 1964 for the work Rail Palangal (Rail lines). He also won the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Theatre-Playwriting in 1979.[4]

Biography

Pillai was born on 22 June 1930 at Naluthattuvila in Chirayinkeezhu taluk of Thiruvananthapuram district as the son of Ottaveettil V. Gopala Pillai and Muttaykkal Kamalakshi Amma. After completing his schooling from Kollam, Chirayinkeezhu, Attingal and Thiruvananthapuram, he passed BA honours degree in Malayalam literature with first rank in 1952. He worked as a Lecturer in a college in Pathanamthitta for two years before joining in Kerala Sahitya Akademi for a research in Kerala's folk music. He worked in Madurai Gandhigram Institute (from 1957) and Lexicon office (from 1961) and Devaswom Board College, Sasthamcotta (since its inception in 1964).[citation needed]

While holding the post of Head of the Department of Malayalam in D.B.College Sasthamcotta, he initiated the Nataka Kalari Movement in 1967 by organising first of its kind. The Professor was also instrumental in the setting up of School of Drama at Thrissur under the University of Calicut, of which he was the founder director[5].[citation needed] He also held the post of Director at the School of Letters of Mahatma Gandhi University and was an Executive Member of National School of Drama.[citation needed]

Prof. Pillai's first work was a one-act play titled Snehadoothan (Messenger of Love) which was published in 1953. His other major works include Vivaham swargathil Nadakkunnu (1958) (Marriages happen in heaven). Bharatha Vakyam[6], Kiratham, Thirumbi vandan thambi (The brother who returned), Raksha purushan (The rescuer), Bandi (The hostage), Sharashayanam (Bed of arrows), Poymukhangal (Masked faces),Kauzhukanmar (The eagles), Vilangum veenayum, Railpalangal (Rail lines), Peipidicha lokam (The world gone mad), Dharmakshetre Kurukshetre, Olapambu (fake snake) , Pushpakireedam (Flory Crown), Nizhal (The Shadow), Gurudakshina (Offering to the Master), Nidhiyum Neethiyum (Treasure and Justice), Maddalangal (Drums), Rail Palangal (Rail Tracks), Ponnumkudam (Golden Pot), Chithra Salabhangal (Butterflies), Thamara (Lotus) and Orukoottam Urumbukal (A Group of Ants)[7][8].[citation needed] He died an untimely death on New Year's Eve in 1989, aged 58[9].[citation needed]

He also has a number of other works to his credit. 'The theater of the earth is never dead'[10], 'Selected essays of G. Sankara Pillai'[11] , Ibsante nataka sankalpam (Drama according to Ibsen), Njan kanda delhi ( The delhi I saw),Bertold Breht,  Nataka Paramparyangal (Drama and heritage), Samvidhayak Sankalpam ( The concept of a director), C.V yude hasya sankalpam (Humour through C.V’s eyes), Malayala Nataka Sahithya Charitram (The history of Malayalam Drama). Gsankarapillaiyude lekhanangal (Collection of articles by Gsankarapillai)[12]

Based on the rich cultural heritage of folklore in kerala and a concrete understanding of western dramatic concepts made G. Sankara Pillai a visionary, He brought in academic discipline and a system which also laid the foundation for modern Malayalam theatre[13][14]

References

  1. ^ "G. Sankara Pillai Biography". Kerala Sahitya Akademi. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  2. ^ "Pillai G., Shankara (1930—1989)". The Oxford Companion to Theatre and Performance. Oxford Reference. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  3. ^ "G. Sankara Pillai's role in giving academic status to theatre hailed". The Hindu. Special Correspondent. 27 April 2011. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 1 December 2018.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  4. ^ "Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar (Akademi Awards)" Archived 31 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Sangeet Natak Akademi. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  5. ^ "Department of Drama and Fine Arts". Retrieved 1 December 2018. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  6. ^ G, Sankara Pillai (1981). Bharatha Vkyam. Trichur: Kerala Sahitya Akademi.
  7. ^ "G Sankara Pillai". Retrieved 1 December 2018. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  8. ^ A, Datta; M Lal (1987). Encyclopaedia of indian literature. New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi.
  9. ^ "G. Sankara Pillai". veethi.com. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  10. ^ Pillai, G Sankara (1986). The theater of the earth is never dead. Trichur: School of drama.
  11. ^ N, Radhakrishnan; Sankarapilla (1997). Selected essays of G. Sankara Pillai. New Delhi: Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts.
  12. ^ "Books of G Sankara Pillai". keralasahityaakademi.org. 1 December 2018. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  13. ^ "The man who gave academic discipline for theatre". The Hindu. Special Correspondent. 2 January 2016. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 1 December 2018.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  14. ^ "Modernist Malayalam Theatre | Drama Literature". Retrieved 1 December 2018.

External links

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