“Dramatics: The Art Of Self Expression” – Aishwarya Nair
Art is a form of communication through expressions, some are born artists and some pursue to learn it. There is no specific age defined to learn the art. 19-year-old Aishwarya Nair pursuing B.A in English is a talented artist who began her journey in Performance Arts at a mere age of 5! In a journey to find her main interest in arts, she started learning Bharatnatyam at the very age but she had to discontinue because her family had to shift to a new residence.
The changing of her household didn’t stop her. She found a passion in Kathakali courtesy of her father, Mr. Vinod Kumar B, who is an actor and a dancer. But then, Kathakali is not as easy as it seems. Maintaining both the curriculum and co-curriculum was a tough job for a small girl so she quit Kathakali and found a newer interest and settled in learning Karnatic music for 11 years. After a struggle of over a decade, she found her true calling as a theater artist. She got her first break at the age of 11 when she played for a Malayalam play “Vaazhakkula”, directed by Mr. Santhosh MV, at a Delhi Malayalee Association event.
Without taking any prior classes or courses in drama, Aishwariya’s natural knack for theatre won her an award for the best supporting actor at age 16. In 2012 she also took part in a play titled “Vilavan Veezhashrinkhala” directed by Ms. Anisha Panicker, organized by Janasanskriti. In 2013, again at the same fest, she was awarded the best actor for the play “Soap, Cheep, Kannadi” which was directed by Mr. Santhosh MV. In 2014 she supported a play named “Kudukka Athava Vishakkunnavante Vedhantham” with music. The same year she acted in another play named “Ottu” for Safdar Hashmi fest directed by Ms. Hima S. For Aishwarya 2015 turned out to be the best year yet as her troupe won best drama award at the national level event. Apart from performing she has also directed a play “The Dead Poets Society” for the literary fest in her college.
Aishwarya Nair finds the stage as her God and defines dramatics as an expression of one’s self. She says that in a society that brings restriction in freedom of speech, she sees drama as a way to express and show society what to expect. The drama has taught her a lot and has made her work better in each and every minute of her life.
This young talent is not only confined to theaters. Recently, for the past few months, she has found an interest in Mohiniatam and is currently learning it’s dance form. This 19-year-old finds her father as an inspiration and her mother, Ambili Nair, as her biggest support. Apart from her co-curriculum, she has achieved a district-level recognition for essay writing, music, dance, and story writing. Aishwarya has no plan to make dramatics as her profession because she considers it her hobby. Yet, she has crafted it with awarding-winning performances and recognition.
Note: This is an article by Betsy T from Campazine, currently featured on Simple Insights.
