A one-day event, ‘Madhava Smrithi,’ to commemorate the birth anniversary of Koodiyattam thespian Ammannur Madhava Chakyar, culminated with the presentation of the rarely-staged Samudratharanam . It’s the fourth act of Bhasa’s Abhisheka Nataka and was staged according to the direction manual set in place by Guru Ammannur himself, before he passed away.
Scope for acting
Samudratharanam unfolds near the coast, somewhere in the south of the country, as Lord Rama and his army marches towards Lanka. It narrates Rama’s encounter with Varuna, the god of the sea, who refuses to help the army in their efforts to cross the sea.
Just as a furious Rama is about to raise his weapon Aaagneyasthra, Varuna clears a path for them for a safe and successful transit.
Bhasa showed considerable skill in weaving the incidents together and has well delineated certain individual characters that would otherwise have had less importance in the storyline. Here, the character of Varuna has been given a major role and Guru Ammannur has fully justified the perception of the dramatist. If the original epic mentions the construction of a bridge, here the reclamation of the sea provides a different dimension to the dramatic content of the play.
The entry of Varuna, the sea god, has been given prominence as per the kramadeepika (stage manual) and the aattaprakaram (acting manual) of the play.
The basic mood of the play is the valour of Lord Rama and Ammannur has taken the narrative and amplified the scope for acting.
For instance, as Rama mulls over a way to cross the ocean, the director has incorporated a wonderful technique to describe it.
In his reclining posture, Rama enacts, with eye movements, the swells and the battering of the waves on the coast. It is a rare treat for in no other Koodiyattam play can this type of acting by a character in a reclining posture be seen.
The staff and students of Ammannur Gurukulam, Irinjalakuda, enacted the lead roles and handled the music. There was a Chakyarkoothu by Ammannur Kuttan Chakyar, who narrated excerpts from Bhagavathdooth , with a tinge of humour.
A mizhavil Thayambaka and seminar on the contributions of Guru in various areas pertaining to this art form was also included in the day-long programme.
To mark the birth centenary of the thespian, Ammannur Gurukulam has been organising performances in association with various cultural organisations throughout Kerala to highlight the veteran’s contributions to the field of Koothu and Koodiyattam. Madhava Smrithi was organised in association with Kathakali Club, Irinjalakuda.
