Path-breaking Kochuraman

Written by A.P Jayaprakash and directed by Edathwa Gopi, ‘Kochuraman’ was a trend setter in the Malabar theatre movement. With its original story and unique style of narration, ‘Kochuraman’ instantly won the hearts of many. This drama which stood apart from the style of presentation which was seen largely during that time, not only entertained the mass, but also addressed various social evils like inequality which prevailed at that time. In ‘Kochuraman’ the protagonist is a man who plays with a monkey in streets. The monkey performs in direction to its masters instructions. Here the monkey symbolizes slavery.
The catchline used by the master here is a famous one in Malayalam.
“Chaadikkalikkada kochurama
Odikalikkada kochurama”
(there are instructions given by the master to the monkey asking it to jump and run)
Likewise, several other social farces were reflected through the performance of the monkey. This was an innovative concept entirely, which marked the beginning of modern drama.
In 1982, ‘Kochuraman’ bagged three awards at the corporation drama festival, namely best actor, actress and script.