Kerala People's Arts Club (KPAC) is a theatrical movement in
Kayamkulam, Kerala, India. It was formed in the 1950s by a group of individuals having close ties with
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
Punalur Balan (1927–1987) was an Indian writer and a poet in Malayalam. He was born on 3 January 1927 in Punalur, Kollam district, Kerala. From his student days he was associated with the Communist movement and shot to fame during the ' Pink ...
. Its second drama
Ningalenne Communistakki (You Made Me a Communist), first performed in 1952, became a path-breaking play in the history of
Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 2 ...
theatre. The play was penned by the renowned playwright
Thoppil Bhasi
Thoppil Bhaskara Pillai, known as Thoppil Bhasi (8 April 1924 – 8 December 1992) was an Indian Malayalam-language playwright, screenwriter, and film director. He was associated with the communist movement in Kerala and his play ''Ningalenne C ...
, 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.
KPAC played a significant role in popularising the
Communist Party
A communist party is a political party that seeks to realize the socio-economic goals of communism. The term ''communist party'' was popularized by the title of ''The Manifesto of the Communist Party'' (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. ...
in Kerala through its dramas, road shows and ''kathaprasangams'' (story telling).
References
External links
*{{official website, http://kpacdrama.com/home.html
Youtube Channel
Organisations based in Kerala
Theatrical organisations in India
Arts organizations established in 1950
1950 establishments in India