Remembering Venukuttan Nair through his characters: Wife’s research revives theatre legend

Thiruvananthapuram: Like a once-commanding stage figure left isolated after the applause faded, theatre maestro PK Venukuttan Nair has largely slipped from public memory — even his death anniversary passes unnoticed. But his wife, Asha Suvarnarekha, is rekindling memories of his unforgettable characters by making them the subject of academic research.

Her research focuses on the women characters reinterpreted by Venukuttan Nair, including the Malayalam play Antigone. She is pursuing her doctoral study at the University of Calicut on the topic: “The Conceptualisation and Representation of Female Characters by P.K. Venukuttan Nair — A Study Based on Eastern and Western Theatre Traditions.”

The study centres on characters such as Antigone, Electra, Shakuntala, Anna from Anna Karenina, Grusha from The Caucasian Chalk Circle, and Vishnudatha Antharjanam from Elamkulam Manaykkale Amma.

These were not mere adaptations of the original texts; Venukuttan Nair reshaped them through a feminist lens into independent, powerful personalities. His Shakuntala, for instance, was portrayed as a woman abandoned without reason. Electra and Antigone, drawn from Greek mythology, were depicted as women who resisted rulers and upheld womanhood with defiance.

Anna, who pursued the life she desired despite conflicts, was transformed into a popular figure on the Malayalam stage. Grusha, meanwhile, was presented as a symbol of the working class.

Entering theatre alongside stalwarts like G Sankara Pillai and CN Sreekantan Nair, Venukuttan Nair gave independent interpretations to Greek dramas and Shakespearean characters, significantly influencing the course of Malayalam theatre.

In 1968, along with ONV Kurup and Ayyappa Paniker, he founded the Suvarnarekha theatre troupe, which gifted Malayalam theatre more than 90 plays. He also acted in several films, including Kodiyettam, Ulkkadal, and Oru Cheru Punchiri.

He served as a member of the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi and as Vice Chairman of the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi. Later in life, he suffered from illness and personal tragedies. He passed away in a rented house in 2012.

Asha, who herself portrayed many of Venukuttan Nair’s characters on stage, has directed several of his works, including Ananthavrithantham, after his death. A postgraduate in Theatre Arts from the School of Drama, she is now pursuing her PhD there as well.