She is not a star yet and her name was not featured in the so-called front-runners list ahead of the announcement of the Kerala State Film Awards this year. However, when the awards were announced on Friday, Beena R Chandran sprang a surprise winning the award for best actor (female). That she shared the recognition with a veteran of Urvashi’s stature made her achievement all the more important.
The state award comes as a much-deserved recognition for Beena who is a teacher by profession and an artist by passion. Beena won the award for her portrayal of Geetha, an anganwadi teacher, in the film ‘Thadavu’ (The sentence), directed by Fazil Razaq. Urvashy won the recognition for the film ‘Ullozhukku’.
Earlier this year, Beena had won a special jury mention at the Kerala Film Critics Awards for the same film. It is the first time Beena has played a full-length character in a feature film though she has acted in director Sudevan’s critically acclaimed Crime No 89, earlier. She was also part of a couple of short films.
A teacher at CEUP School, Parudur in Palakkad district, Beena has been active in theatre for years. She is a regular at Kalapadhasala, Arangottukara, a well-known theatre group. She also works with Nadakasangham, Thrissur. She is also a brilliant mimicry artist who has mesmerised many stages with her impeccable imitation of voices of birds.
A post graduate in Botany, Beena teaches science subjects as well as languages. In a recent interview, Beena said she enjoys teaching English and Malayalam because it gives her more opportunity to be creative in her classrooms. She said she applies her experience in theatre in classroom by converting lessons to skits, dance and drama. She runs a kids theatre in her school.
“Art, be it acting or dancing, has always been a part of my life since childhood. It has helped a lot in my career as a teacher too,” she says. She says theatre gives her a refreshing experience. Active in the Left circles, Beena believes that it is important for any woman to get a space for self expression. On her performance in ‘Thadavu’, she said she essayed the role after giving a shape to the character in her mind.
