His eyes moved wildly, and a maddening, high-pitched scream tore from his mouth, echoing through the hall. A dark, haunting noise! The audience gasped in silence as they watched an innocent child fall prey to the promise of a fleeting high. The older man laughed; the gleam of money in his eyes flashed under the stage lights. A sense of woe wafted through the air, through the play and all the way to every viewer's home.
To a casual viewer, this might just seem like a man performing on stage. But to an invested spectator, he was both a 40-year-old drug dealer and a vulnerable 16-year-old, simultaneously. He is Ratheesh Varavoor from Kerala, the lone man creating waves of change across India.
Born to Vijayalakshmi and Bhaskaran Nair in the 1984, Ratheesh grew up in the quiet village of Varavoor in Thrissur district. He was drawn to drama and other performance arts in school and was passionate about acting. However, hailing from a background with limited resources and little exposure, he was unable to pursue his passion as a full-time career.
The annual, state-level youth festival, Keralotsavam 2021, in which he performed a 12-minute mono-act against drug abuse, proved to be a turning point for him, as it helped him realise the power his craft holds. Now, for 42-year-old Ratheesh, mono-act is no longer just the art he practised as a child; it is also a mode of protest.
What started as a short act has moved far beyond that Keralotsavam night, into one-hour-long performances. He has performed over 1,000 stages. From schools to large cultural spaces, Ratheesh always finds a place for his one-man fight.
Soumya, his partner and Dhruv, his 7-year-old son, comprise his immediate family and his biggest support system. They are part of the equation as a team, often giving up family time for the betterment of the society.
His act is entirely scripted and perfected by him. However, his solitary mission is now turning collective, as he founded Bodhi Foundation, an NGO, along with his friends, with hopes of eradicating the drug menace by creating awareness through art, and setting up a remedial step through a de-addiction centre.
When asked about the effectiveness of his campaign, Ratheesh points out the importance of emotional connection: “The missing link in many campaigns is the lack of understanding of the victim and the focus on preaching. If you preach knowledge to a child, they will never remember it. But if you engage a child with knowledge visually, they will remember it forever. I don’t remember much of what my teacher taught me, but I still remember the movies I watched as a child. Through my mono-act campaign, I try a similar approach, and try to portray the individual's emotions visually rather than just preach.”
As a child, Ratheesh witnessed many incidents of alcohol-triggered violence against women, leaving a lasting impression on him. He was particularly distressed when he lost a close friend to drugs, leading him to undertake the one-man battle against the menace.
The act he performs reflects these very experiences. Through shifts in tone and expression, Ratheesh portrays a studious yet playful high school student. As the young boy navigates challenges at home, the emotional ups and downs, his performance takes on a more subdued note. He then transitions into the voice of an older drug dealer, who promises him freedom and happiness, leading to addiction and a resultant tragedy.
While talking about the impact of his work, Ratheesh says, "Many people come to me after my performances, crying and telling me how I have helped them or their child stop using these substances. But I face negative reactions as well, especially when I interact with people who have faced drug abuse, some of whom even abuse my performance."
Despite all the good intentions, he also faces backlash, and sometimes even bodily harm. He recollects one such night, when a mob tried to attack him at a school performance, and the police had to intervene. However, he takes it in his stride, framing it as a part of being an activist.
As he talks about being an activist, Ratheesh mentions what he wishes to achieve: “Attacks and mockery are a part of this. I don’t mind any of that as long as people understand the long-term adverse effects of drug abuse. I have even translated the scripts into Tamil, Hindi, and English to reach a wider audience. Hopefully, such a wide reach will lead to a drug-free country.”
Ratheesh wishes to perform in front of the the prime minister, the chief minister, and other prominent figures, even as he works towards making the world drug-free.
When the crowd slowly disperses and the ground clears, the 16-year-old and the drug dealer fade to the background. And in that stillness, Ratheesh walks away, not as the characters he embodied but as a soldier sharpening his sword for the next fight!
