Abhilash Pillai


Abhilash Pillai is an Indian theater director, both pedagogue and scholar of contemporary Indian theatre.

Early life and education

Abhilash Pillai was born on 17 May 1969 at Thiruvananthapuram to S.R.K. Pillai and Sarada Pillai. In 1991, he completed his Bachelor of Theatre Arts from The School of Drama, University of Calicut and secured third rank. He also completed a three-year Postgraduate Diploma in Dramatics with a specialization in Design and Direction from the National School of Drama, New Delhi, with distinction in 1994. He then obtained a two-year Diploma in Theater Production and Stage Management with honors from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, London in 1998. He also did a one-year intensive training in advanced theater direction in association with eminent directors in the Orange Tree Theater, United Kingdom during 1998 and 1999 and attained his PhD from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi in 2012.

Career

Dr. Pillai began his career in theater as an art director at the Abhinaya Theatre and Research Centre, Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala. He worked there from September 1999 to April 2001. Later, he was appointed as an Assistant Professor at National School of Drama, New Delhi and rose to become the Dean of Academics from July 2008 and June 2011. Presently, he is a visiting faculty/play director at many universities in India and abroad. He is also the Chairman of Arnav Art Trust since 2011 and a committee member of Natrang Pratishtan, New Delhi. He currently works as the Associate Professor at National School of Drama.

Major directorial works

YearTitleDramaturgeProduction CompanyPremier Show
2017The Night Side of LifeSasikumar. VEx-Theatre AsiaNational Theater and Concert Hall, Taipei, Taiwan
2016TalatumSasikumar. VTempest with a Twist by Sasikumar. V combining Theatre actors & circus performers in a circus tentSerendipity Art Trust,
2016Radio FreedomRajesh TailangNational School of DramaNational School of Drama
2015Lorem IpsumRajesh TailangNational School of DramaNational School of Drama
2014VIVIDCombining two scripts by Mahesh Elkunchwar & Vijay TendulkarNational School of DramaNational School of Drama
2013AvudaiA performance based on Kanchana Natrajan's book 'Transgressing BoundariesIndira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts New DelhiIndira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts
2012Kalo Sonakhari A non-verbal play with the Repertory company of NSD Sikkim CentreNSD Sikkim CentreNSD Sikkim Centre
2012Clowns & CloudsNational School of DramaNational School of Drama
2009ara Ek Bada Basheer Rajesh Tailang combining seven works of Malayalam Novelist Vaikom Muhammed Basheer in HindiNational School of DramaNational School of Drama
2009HelenSujith ShankarJapan Foundation AsiaJapan, Korea & Bharat Rang Mahotsav
2007Bhooth Gadi Rajesh TailangNational School of DramaNew Delhi
2007TajmahalShama Futehallly and translated by Himanshu B JoshiNational School of DramaNew Delhi
2006ClytemnestraSujith Shankar translated by Rajesh TailangIt is a theatre collaboration between India, Iran & UzbekistanBharat Rang Mahotsav
2006Palm Grove TalesBased on O. V. Vijayan s novelette titled 'The Legends of Khassak' Khasakkinte Itihasam, the writer and scenic designer Deepan SivaramanSchool of Drama and Fine Arts, ThrissurSchool of Drama and Fine Arts, Thrissur
2006Midnight's ChildrenSalman Rushdie's novel co-adapted and translated into Hindustani by Himanshu B JoshiNational School of DramaAbhimanch Auditorium New Delhi & Bharat Rang Mahotsav,
2005Rabia-MeeraBharatnatayam dancer- Seema Agarwal was performed in collaboration with as theatre directorAbhimanch Auditorium, New Delhi
2005Holi Mahesh ElkunchwarAn academic production put up at the Studio Theatre, Department of Indian Theatre, Punjab UniversityChandigarh
2005ShakuntalaRussian language by KālidāsaRussian Academy of Theatre Arts- Moscow
2004Memories of a LegendInspired by 'The Babur Nama- Memories of Babur', multilingual Japan Foundation, Tokyo
2003Island of BloodMultimedia performance by Anita Pratap, was performed in English, Malayalam and ManipuriCity festival in Berlin, Germany & South Asia Theatre Festival in Tokyo, Japan.
2003KARNA multimedia production inspired from MahabharataNational School of DramaNew Delhi, Korea & China
2003UrubhangamBhasa's Sanskrit play translated to KannadaIt was formed from a production-oriented Theatre Workshop for the Ninasam Theatre Institute, HeggoduKarnataka
2002Prometheus Bound of AeschylusGreek classic translated into Hindistudents of National School of DramaNew Delhi
2001Verdigris a production inspired from the famous novelette, Thottiyute Makan of Thakazhi Sivasankara PillaiAbhinaya Theatre Research CentreThiruvanathapuram & Festival de Almeda in Portugal, Hyderabad & Jammu
2001Saketam C. N. Sreekantan NairSchool of Drama and Fine Arts, ThrissurNational Theatre Festival & Fukuoka, Japan
2000Things Can Change in a DayDrawn from 'The God of Small Things' of Arundhati RoyAbhinaya Theatre Research CentreThiruvanthapuram
1999Survivors Amrit WilsonOrange Tree TheatreUnited Kingdom
1996Aa Manushian Nee ThanneC. J. ThomasSchool of Drama and Fine Arts, ThrissurInternational Theatre Festival of Kerala & South Zone Culture Centre, Thiruvananthapuram
1994Lanka LakshmiC. N. Sreekantan Nair
1992Cherry Orchard- Scene Work Anton Chekhov
1990Kodumkattu William Shakespeare
1990Subhala Vajra ThundamMalayalam translation from Sanskrit by Srirama adapted by P.G. Unnikrishnan
1989Oru Kootam Urumpukal, Children's play''G. Sankara Pillai

As an Actor