ABOUT BHASABHARATHI

Bhasabharathi inherits the legacy of the continued and colourful work of the SOPANAM INSTITUTE OF PERFORMING ARTS AND RESEARCH, which has a standing of more than 40 years in the field of theatre and performing arts of Kerala. The founder director of Sopanam Shri. Kavalam Narayana Panikkar in collaboration with other active members like Dr. K. Ayyappa Panikker, famous poet, late Shri. G. Aravindan, eminent film maker, Shri. Bharath Gopi, Shri. Nedumudi Venu and many other enthusiasts in the field of culture has been able to organize a series of Cultural events in Kerala during the past, including four major international Bhasa festivals, play productions in both Malayalam and Sanskrit, many workshops on theatre, music and dance etc.

SOPANAM has been able to make elaborate documentation of many folk, tribal and classical art forms which were facing extinction. This constitutes good material for in-depth study on the traditional culture of Kerala. In fact the theatre productions of Sanskrit plays of Mahakavi Bhasa and Kalidasa and other Malayalam plays have been made possible only with the help of the documentation of these traditional materials and the research on the same. The contribution of Sopanam to the art of Mohiniattam and indigenous music also is of significance. It may be noted that the achievements of two dancers of eminence in Mohiniattam Dr. Kanak Rele, Nalanda Dance Research centre, Bombay and Smt.Bharathi Sivaji, Kala Ambalam, New Delhi have been made possible due to their collaboration with sopanam.

Bhasabharathi is formed with a view to further the achievements of Sopanam on an international level. It is proposed to organize outreach activities by conducting international theatre workshops to teach the theories of Indian aesthetics through practice for which further efforts in the documentation of artistic materials and the dissemination of the same are of primary importance.

BHASABHARATHI is registered under the Travancore-Cochin Literary,
Scientific and Charitable Socities Act-1955. (Reg.No.T 3864/2001).
Tel - 91 471 2351559, Fax - 91 471 2354430. E- mail - sopanam@bhasabharathi.com