Ibrahim Vengara

Ibrahim Vengara, a Malayalam playwright who was born on August 1, 1941 at Vengara in North Malabar to Seythammadath Alikunji and Puthiya Veettil Kunjamina. He received his primary school education at Vengara Mappila Upper Primary School, but he could only attend school for two years. Later he learned to read and write Malayalam from an old age school, which was run by the Public Library, Taliparamba. When he was 13, he left his home and traveled across India and did all kinds of jobs in different parts of the country. He joined the Theatre Movement in 1962. Ibrahim Vengara has served as Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy member, Purogamana Kala Sahitya Sangham State Council Member, Akashvani Kozhikode Programme Advisory Board member, and Kerala Drama Workers Welfare Association State Council member. His career started with Arthi, which won first prize in a drama competition in 1965. He has been associated with theatre groups like Thrissur Silpi and Kozhikode Sangamam. His notable works include Valmikam, Utharam, Ezhil Chovva, Upaharam, Padanilam, Malikaveedu, Rajasabha.  He had his drama group called Chirantana which had presented some of the best professional plays in the Malabar region. He was imprisoned during the Emergency period for writing the play Bhoothavanam. His play Ezhil Chovva and Upharam won the award from Akashvani in the years 1989-90 and 1992-93 for the best radio play. He also acted in a Gulmohar, a drama written by him in 2008, playing the role of Pothuval.

His plays were translated into 14 languages. His work Rajasabha won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Drama in 1997. His autobiography Green Room won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Biography and Autobiography in 2015. He is one of the best Malayalam playwrights Kerala has ever seen. He can be considered as the Shakespeare of Malayalam Drama Society. He was also selected for the Thikkodiyan Award by The Hindu newspaper in 2010 or his contribution to the Malayalam literature.