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Five months of practice and the dream of performing in the Kerala State Youth Festival faded for six students of AKMHSS Kottoor, an aided school in Malappuram district, after the school decided to withdraw their drama from the state-level competition. The decision followed interventions from right-wing groups, who alleged that the drama insulted mythological characters from the Ramayana and Mahabharata.
The drama, titled Veeranatyam and directed by scriptwriter and director Rafeeq Mangalassery, won the first prize at the Malappuram district-level youth festival, qualifying it for the Kerala State School Youth Festival. The play was performed on November 19, but later, in the last week of November, a few clips circulated on social media platforms like X.
In 2018, Rafeeq faced a similar situation when his play Kitab, which revolves around a Muslim girl challenging patriarchal norms within her community, gained widespread attention and controversy.
Several X handles shared scenes from Veeranatyam in which Urmila from the Ramayana questions Lakshmans for choosing to leave her and accompany his brother Rama, claiming that the drama mocked the Ramayana and Mahabharata and insulted Hindu culture.
Following this, leaders of the Hindu Aikyavedi reportedly met the school management, and the school decided to withdraw the play on November 27.
Speaking to TNM, Rafeeq Mangalassery said this was an attack on freedom of expression. “I believe I did nothing wrong, and what I said is something I should say to society. I believe drama is not just entertainment. It is a struggle; we speak our politics through it. It should address issues in society. So, my dramas will be political,” he said.
Veeranatyam
The play presents a feminist political perspective on the Ramayana and Mahabharata. The 30-minute performance explores the oppression of women in these epics, with the main female characters, Sita, Urmila, and Gandhari, highlighting male dominance and questioning their subjugation.
It also depicts the lives of contemporary women, drawing parallels between their experiences and the struggles shown in mythological narratives. Indirectly, the drama criticises those who idealise and seek to restore a mythological past in the present-day world.
The drama also addresses casteism, both within mythology and in modern society, illustrating the struggles of lower-caste women in Kerala.
Rafeeq said there were no controversies when the drama won first place at the sub-district competition. “The drama secured first prize in the sub-district competition, and we never received any complaints or criticism. But later, after we won the first prize at the district-level competition, the school withdrew the drama following the Sangh groups’ threats,” he said.
He added, “It is the audience who should decide whether we insulted mythological characters or not. I posted the video on social media platforms, and no one perceived it as an insult. I received only positive comments.”
Rafeeq also noted that he is not the first person to reinterpret the Ramayana and Mahabharata. “Many dramas and literary works have explored the same themes for decades. I think we have changed a lot from that era. We are all moving backwards now,” he added.
Kitab was withdrawn from the Kerala State School Art Festival in 2018 after objections from some Muslim organisations.
Rafeeq says the same Sangh groups that earlier applauded Kitab are now opposing Veeranatyam. “Earlier, I was a secularist for them; now they are framing me as a Sudapi and Islamic terrorist,” he said, adding, “I don’t have any bias toward any religion.” (Sudapi is a word used derogatorily to indicate a Muslim who supports SDPI).
Reacting to the incident, film and drama director Priyanandanan TR said that artists speaking the truth without fear is the essence of democracy, and this withdrawal would become a licence for cultural fascism.
“This is not just a play, it is a message, a light raised against oppression and historical injustice. What disappears when the authorities kneel before threats is not only the play but the freedom of the artists,” he wrote on Facebook.