Kannur: A street play in Kerala's Kandakkai took an unexpected turn on Sunday evening (October 5) when a stray dog ran onto the stage and bit one of the performers.
The incident took place during a one-act play titled 'Pekkaalam' (rabies season), which was ironically being staged as part of an awareness programme about stray dog attacks at the Kandakkai Krishna Pillai Library at around 7:00 pm.
A video of the shocking incident surfaced on social media. Have a look:
Here's what happened
During the performance, a sound recording of barking dogs attacking a child was played over the speakers. A nearby stray dog, apparently alarmed by the recording, rushed onto the stage and in confusion, bit a 57-year-old artist P Radhakrishnan, who was performing in the scene.
At first, the audience assumed the episode was part of the play, only realising it was real once Radhakrishnan revealed that he had been bitten.
“I was playing the scene where my character was trying to help a child being attacked by street dogs. I had a stick in my hand as part of the act. Suddenly, a dog came from behind and bit my leg. I managed to scare it off, which saved me from any further attack,” Radhakrishnan said, as quoted by The New Indian Express.
Artist safe after treatment
Radhakrishnan was later taken to the Kannur Medical College, where he received an anti-rabies vaccination. He suffered only minor injuries and said his quick reaction prevented the dog’s teeth from piercing his flesh. He described it as his first such experience in years of performing community street plays.
The incident has drawn attention to Kerala’s growing concerns over stray dog attacks, even as officials and local groups continue to run awareness campaigns. Animal advocates said the dog’s reaction appeared to be a misunderstanding triggered by the loud sound effects rather than aggression.
