Radio dramas have always been very popular with AIR listeners and the state level radio drama festivals conducted annually have very wide listenership. Technically the term 'radio play' covers both small skits and long plays and their themes vary from small day-to-day happenings to serious social issues. While the skits are usually of only 5-6 minutes' duration, the others can be 30 minutes to one hour long. If the long dramas can be compared to a painting on a large canvas, the radioskits are more like cartoons on a smaller frame. These 'radio cartoons', with comic exaggeration instead of realistic depiction as their presentation technique, can be powerful tools of social satire attracting all sorts of listeners. Local radio stations, having no full-fledged drama section or their own panel of auditioned & graded artists, largely depend upon such radio-cartoons scripted and acted by in house talents. 'Kalikkoottam'(literally meaning 'playgroup') is the radio cartoon broadcast weekly by Manjeri FM, one of the smallest stations in India. It deals with a wide variety of topics of social relevance and acted by staff members and presentation assignees.
Contributed By: AIR Manjeri FM
Email: allindiaradio.manjerifm@gmail.com