KOTTAYAM: Artist Sujathan, who has staged thousands of plays in his half-century-long career, is in penance for future generations. He is now drawing fifty canvases that depict the immortal moments of fifty plays filled with sound and light in memory.

Canvases are eight feet long and six feet wide. A price of four thousand rupees has been set for one. 50 canvas alone will cost Rs 2 lakh. He uses expensive acrylic paint for painting which is everlasting. However, he doesn't have any money now. Sujathan does not do this for financial gain. This is a life mission, at least for the new generation who are escalating away from the drama.

1950 to 2000

Sujathan is drawing the history of half a century of Malayalam drama. A popular play from each year. Sujathan's is in a world of colour in the workshop near his house in Vellore.

From KPAC's 'Ningal Ennne Communist Aakki' in 1950, Thoppil Bhasi's Mudiyanaya Puthran, Ashwamedham, NN Pillai's Cross Belt, to Nerariv, a play that came out in 2000.

He started this during the lockdown and nothing has been completed so far. Attention to detail is very important while portraying the scenes.

Sujathan is portraying these scenes on to new canvases so as to make them last forever.

''I have to do atleast this in my artistic life of over 50 years. The new generation needs to know that our drama era was prosperous. The idea is to use them in the long run. "

--Artist Sujathan