Before entering cinema, the artistic life of Malayalam actor Sreenivasan was shaped on the theatre stage, with Thrikkarippur emerging as one of the most vibrant centres of his early journey. It was from this fertile training ground that the artiste—who concealed layers of social thought beneath humour—paved his way into cinema.
Thrikkarippur played a decisive role in this formative phase. A committed theatre activist, Sreenivasan formed the drama troupe Ghanashyama and made Thrikkarippur its base of operations. Theatre veterans recall that Ravindranatha Kongat was instrumental in introducing Sreenivasan to theatre, guiding him in his early years and organising dramatic activities. At a time when the theatre movement was at its peak in North Malabar, the Thrikkarippur theatre space marked a crucial turning point in Sreenivasan’s artistic life.
During the tenure of the late P. P. Kunhiraman as president, the Trikaripur National Kala Vedi became Sreenivasan’s regular venue. From this platform, several local artistes found opportunities to work alongside him. Deepti Govindan, Kana Ramesh Babu, Valsan Thrikkarippur, and many others remain living witnesses to that rich theatre phase. Along with honing his acting skills, Sreenivasan also took his first steps as a writer here. The language, thought processes, and social sharpness that later defined his film characters were a direct continuation of these theatre experiences.
