Bengaluru: Chevittorma brings Kerala flood story to Ranga Shankara

Chevittorma will bring a water-filled stage and the voices of Thuruthippuram residents to Ranga Shankara on October 25 at 7.30pm.

The play, *Chevittorma (A Memoir of the Moribund)*, is performed by Jalam Theatre Company, formed by people from Thuruthippuram in Kerala’s Ernakulam district. In parts of Kerala, “chevittorma” refers to a prayer whispered into the ear of a person who is dying and unable to say it themselves.

The production draws on the community’s experience after the 2018 Kerala floods. Director Sreejith Ramanan said tidal waves began reaching the area monthly, and that his visits to the village found abandoned homes, children’s drawings on crumbling walls and household belongings floating in the water.

Most of the cast are daily-wage earners whose lives, the company says, were affected by the repeated flooding. Conceived in 2022 and first staged in 2023, the play has travelled to other venues in Kerala, Mumbai and Delhi.

Chevittorma is part of the Ranga Shankara Theatre Festival 2026. Tickets cost ₹300 and are available on BookMyShow.