Fill The Space (‘Sthalipooranam’)

Noushad Mohamed Kunju (India)

Noushad Mohamed Kunju from Kerala, India, an actor, actor trainer, director and educator, is presently working as an Associate Professor in the Department of Theatre Arts, Sarojini Naidu School of Arts, Central University of Hyderabad, India. He is a member of the examination board Intercultural Theatre Institute (ITI) Singapore. He is also visiting faculty of National School of Drama, New Delhi, Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) and The Drama Department University of Saskatchewan, Canada. He was formerly Artistic Director of the Shri Ram Centre (SRC) performing Arts New Delhi, after graduating from Intercultural Theatre Institute (ITI) Singapore (2002-2005). He worked as a full-time artist at NSD Repertory Company New Delhi (1999-2002). He holds a diploma in Dramatic arts from National School of Drama (1996-1999) and also holds Bachelor of Theatre Arts (BTA) from Thrissur School of Drama, Calicut University Kerala (1993- 1996).

His directorial venture, plays like;
Shakespeare’s ‘King Lear’ for the Department of Theatre Arts, University of Hyderabad (2019), Vijay Tendulkar’s ‘The Cyclist’, a graduation production organized by Intercultural Theatre Institute (ITI) Singapore (http://iti.edu.sg/) (2018),"Sahasi Amala”, a Nepali adaptation of Bertolt Brecht's ‘Mother Courage and Her Children’ organised by National School of Drama Repertory Company, Sikkim (2017), Euripides’ ‘The Trojan Women’ Department of Theatre Arts University of Hyderabad (2017), Girish Karnad’s ‘Nagamandala’, Department of Theatre Arts University of Hyderabad (2015), His devised performance ‘Reflections’ for the department of Theatre Arts students, University of Hyderabad (2011), it was staged at the National theatre festival in Begusarai, Bihar and in various theatre festivals of Kerala (2012), it was invited for International Festival of Theatre Institutes (IFTI), the festival was organized by National School of Drama, New Delhi (2012),Bertolt Brecht’s ‘The Caucasian Chalk Circle’, in Mizo language, collaborating with the Department of Art and Culture, Government of Mizoram (2010), William Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer-Night’s Dream’, Shri Ram Centre New Delhi (SRC) (2009), ‘Mere Bacche’, an adaptation of Arthur Miller’s ‘All My Sons’, Shri Ram Centre Repertory Company New Delhi (SRC) (2009) Anton Chekhov’s ‘The Seagull’, Shri Ram Centre New Delhi (SRC) (2008) and Girish Karnad’s ‘Hayavadana’, Shri Ram Centre Repertory company, New Delhi (SRC) (2008).

He is one of the collaborators of ‘Kutay’ (connections), an international/intercultural and cross- cultural theatre performance in the new normal, involved theatre practitioners and educators from Japan/Malaysia, Hong Kong, India and the Philippines. Organized by The La salle University Theatro Guindegan in cooperation with The Japan Foundation Manila Philippines (2020).

He has acted in numerous theatre productions in India and internationally. These include Kuo Pao Kun’s ‘The Spirits Play’ (2009), organized by Traditions & Editions Theatre Circus (TETC), a theatre collective established by Intercultural Theatre Institute (ITI) alumnus, Singapore, The Spirits Play went on to the 12th NSD National theatre festival -Bharat Rang Mahotsav- New Delhi in January (2010). He also performed in another TETC production, ‘Transformations’, as part of Kuo Pao Kun theatre festival, in Hyderabad(2012), ‘An Autobiography of a Sex Worker’ (2011), staged in Hyderabad and in Kerala, ‘Portrait of Dora’ and ‘Helen’ which participated in NSD 8th National Theatre festival- Bharat Rang Mahotsav- in January (2008), a Japan Foundation’s project ‘Performing Women’ – Clytemnestra, Medea and Jocasta, based on Greek drama, involving artists from India, Japan, Iran and Uzbekistan which was performed in India and Tokyo and later in the Seoul Theatre Festival (2007), also collaborated with a Malaysian company ‘Teater’ Ekamatra’s ‘Impenjarament’ (imprisonment), for the Singapore Arts Festival (2005), and Chen Hui Wen’s production of Sarah Kane’s ‘4:48 Psychosis’ under the banner of The Republic of Performance in Taiwan (2005). Ota Shogo’s ‘Water Station’, ITI, Singapore (2004) and ‘Miwa’ another Indo - Japan collaboration project, Tokyo, Japan, (1999).
He conducted various acting workshops all over India and internationally in Singapore, Taiwan, Nepal and Canada.

He has also ventured into acting for a few movies like Rahul Bose’s production ‘Poorna’ (2017), ‘Magic Lantern’-(2010) regional movie ‘Athbhutham’-(2007), Indo Canadian collaboration movie ‘Amal’ (2007).