Sebastian Kunjukunju Bhagavathar
Encyclopedia
Sebastian Kunjukunju Bhagavathar (9 February 1901 – 1985) was a Malayalam theatre actor, singer, and author. He is known for his contributions to Malayalam sangeetha natakam
(musical operas). He, along with Ochira Velukutty, was responsible for breaking the monotony of musical operas with their 1930 play Karuna, an adaptation of Kumaran Asan
's famous poetic piece.
taluk of Alappuzha district
in the India
n state of Kerala
. After initial schooling in his native village, he attended the Leo XIII School in Alappuzha. He later enrolled at St. Albert's High School in Ernakulam
. It was at St. Albert's that he joined a Tamil drama troupe and toured several parts of Tamil Nadu
before returning to Ernakulam. During his stay in Ernakulam, Kunjukunju was busy with drama and music and paid little attention to his studies. He returned to his home village to look after his ailing father. In 1923, Kunjukunju married Marykutty. She gave her support to his later theatrical ventures.
Kunjukunju's first lead role was in Njanasundari, a Tamil drama translated into Malayalam which told the story of Prince Plendran and Princess Njanasundari. For next few years after Njanasundari, he could not get any major role in dramas. In 1929, "Royal Cinema & Dramatic Company" staged the drama Parudeesa Nashtam which was based on John Milton
's epic poem Paradise Lost
. Kunjukunju played the role of Adam, while Ochira Velukkutty
, an actor who is said to have enacted female roles better than real women, played the Eve. This is followed by, Satyavansavitri, Alliarjuna, Kovalan Charitram, Nallathanka, and Harishchandra. The Kunjukunju–Velukkutty duo was the main attraction of all these dramas as they drew huge crowds.
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
(musical operas). He, along with Ochira Velukutty, was responsible for breaking the monotony of musical operas with their 1930 play Karuna, an adaptation of Kumaran Asan
Kumaran Asan
N. Kumaran Asan , also known as Mahakavi Kumaran Asan , was one of the triumvirate poets of Kerala, South India...
's famous poetic piece.
Early life and career
Sebastian was born on 9 February 1901 to Pollayil Vincent and Margarita as their second child in AmbalappuzhaAmbalappuzha
Ambalappuzha is a small town in Alappuzha district of Kerala state, south India. The town is famous for its Sri Krishna temple. The Ambalappuzha temple is one of the three important Sri Krishna temples in the state of Kerala....
taluk of Alappuzha district
Alappuzha district
Alappuzha is one of the 14 districts in the state of Kerala in India. It was formed as Alleppey District on August 17, 1957. The name of the district was officially changed to Alappuzha in 1990. The district is a widely known tourist destination, and is well known for its coir factories. Most of...
in the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. After initial schooling in his native village, he attended the Leo XIII School in Alappuzha. He later enrolled at St. Albert's High School in Ernakulam
Ernakulam
Ernakulam refers to the downtown area or the western part of the mainland of Kochi city in Kerala, India. The city is the most urban part of Kochi and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Ernakulam is called the commercial capital of the state of Kerala and is a main nerve of business in...
. It was at St. Albert's that he joined a Tamil drama troupe and toured several parts of Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
before returning to Ernakulam. During his stay in Ernakulam, Kunjukunju was busy with drama and music and paid little attention to his studies. He returned to his home village to look after his ailing father. In 1923, Kunjukunju married Marykutty. She gave her support to his later theatrical ventures.
Kunjukunju's first lead role was in Njanasundari, a Tamil drama translated into Malayalam which told the story of Prince Plendran and Princess Njanasundari. For next few years after Njanasundari, he could not get any major role in dramas. In 1929, "Royal Cinema & Dramatic Company" staged the drama Parudeesa Nashtam which was based on John Milton
John Milton
John Milton was an English poet, polemicist, a scholarly man of letters, and a civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under Oliver Cromwell...
's epic poem Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th-century English poet John Milton. It was originally published in 1667 in ten books, with a total of over ten thousand individual lines of verse...
. Kunjukunju played the role of Adam, while Ochira Velukkutty
Ochira Velukkutty
Ochira Velukutty was an Indian dramatist in the time of Malayalam theatre’s initial time. The Malayalam theatre began as an offshoot of Tamil theatre. In the South Kerala the monotony of the sangeetha natakam was broken in 1930 by one play Karuna an adaptation of Kumaran Asan's famous poetic piece...
, an actor who is said to have enacted female roles better than real women, played the Eve. This is followed by, Satyavansavitri, Alliarjuna, Kovalan Charitram, Nallathanka, and Harishchandra. The Kunjukunju–Velukkutty duo was the main attraction of all these dramas as they drew huge crowds.