KPAC 4.03

Kerala People's Arts Club (KPAC) is a theatrical movement in Kerala, India. It was formed in the 1950s by a group of individuals having close ties with Left-wing politics parties of Kerala. This political theatre was very influential in propagating communist ideas in Kerala.

In 1951 KPAC staged its first drama, Ente Makananu Sari (My Son is Right). The songs of this play were written by Punaloor Balan. Its second drama Ningalenne Communistakki (You Made Me a Communist), first performed in 1952, became a path-breaking play in the history of Malayalam theatre. The play was penned by the renowned playwright Thoppil Bhasi, under the pseudonym Soman. Bhasi was underground when he wrote the play. The success of Ningalenne Communistakki made KPAC in the forefront of a powerful people's theatre movement in Kerala.[1]

KPAC played a significant role in popularizing the Communist Party in Kerala through its dramas, road shows and kathaprasangams (story telling)