Reinventing Kathaprasangam for modern times
The Hindu
Youth gives voice to contemporary issues through art form
At a time when Kathaprasangam is literally on the verge of extinction, here is a youth from Kozhikode’s Koodaranhi village who is passionate about making people aware of social issues through the art form. S.V. Jayesh, who made his entry into the field nearly 30 years ago, comes up with at least one production every month with the support of his two other team members.
“We make this art form survive among us by giving voice to contemporary issues and problems that affect people’s lives. Instead of recreating old stories, we weave our own stories and present them through this most entertaining art form,” says Jayesh, who was also a winner of several State-level contests during his school days. He says that Kathaprasangam has the power to easily capture the attention of people and convey messages in the form of entertainment.
Unlike those who train youngsters in the art form only for competitions, Jayesh is giving training to over 15 students from his village to make them professional artistes.