Abijnana Shakuntalam will be Manju’s tribute to Kavalam

Actress Manju Warrier is all set to debut in theatre with Abhijnana Shakuntalam, a Sanskrit play by late veteran dramatist Kavalam Narayana Panicker. Manju terms the performance as a tribute to her ‘guru’ who introduced her to theatre, adding that she got to explore two new things in her life, learning Sanskrit and acting in a theatre production.
“Theatre is a new world for me.I learned Sanskrit for the play and the first dialogue I mouthed was itha ithaha sabhya. The first performance of the play will be held on July 18 at Trivandrum,” Manju says.
The actress recalls that she had the good fortune to associate with the legend during the last phase of his life. “Kavalam sir trained me for Abhijnana Shakuntalam. Without his support and encouragement I wouldn’t have been able to take up the challenge of enacting Shakuntala in it. It was his wish to stage the play in Trivandrum. I can feel his presence and blessings with us.”
She added that the play, like the other Sanskrit productions of Kavalam, will encourage experiments in modern Malayalam theatre and also inspire the youth to learn more about Sanskrit and ancient Indian culture.