M.Kunjhandy

Famous Malayalam film and theatre actor Kunhandy’s big break came with Desaposhini’s B.A. Mayavi. He acted as a sepoy in this drama which became an instant success.Soon he stamped his authority in the theatre movement in Malabar by setting a new trend in stage acting. He propogated his style through N P Chellappan Nair’s ‘Idiyum Minnalum’ and ‘Minnal Prayanam’ which desaposhini staged in 1945 and 1950 respectively. Later in 1952 he acted in T N Goviraman nair’s ‘Akavum Puravum’. Ever since that Kunjhandy was a part of Desaposhini’s theatre arts. It was only after nearly three decades of high profile courtship with the theater movement in the state, that he tried his hands in films.In 1988, when B.A Mayavi was re-staged by desaposhini as part of its 50th anniversary, Kunjhandy who was in bad health still managed to see the drama held at St. Joseph’s Devagiri college, Kozhikode. Theatre playwright-director, A. Ratnakaran of desaposhini who directed B.A Mayavi in1988 remembers the talent and dedication personified by the great actor Kunjhandy was.