Professional drama artistes in ruin due to pandemic

Hundreds of stage artistes have been caught up in Kerala’s largest cultural shutdown in modern history

When the lockdown hit in April last year, it did not stop Pradeep Malavika, a professional drama artist-cum-producer from Vaikom in Kottayam, from pencilling in his schedule for the next festival season after a possible return to the stage in September. But the target proved implausible as it once did. A latest production by the Vaikom Malavika Theatres had just begun its tour when the unprecedented lockdown came, which exposed a lot that was really fragile and difficult about the sector. The 59-year-old artist, who has been into professional drama since his school days, now has huge bank loans to repay and lives on with support from family members.