Koodiyattam is the most ancient extant form of Sanskrit theatre, one that has earned the rare distinction of being recognised as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. Rooted in a 2,000-year history, this is the art form from which Kathakali traces its earliest origins. Before a rapt audience at the Dr. MGR-Janaki College of Arts and Science for Women, under the auspices of Uthareeyam and the college’s Natya Department, the play ‘Doothavakyam’ authored by poet Bhasa (third century BC) was presented and presided over by Dr. T.P. Radhakrishnan, principal, Madras Sanskrit College. It was staged by Rajaneesh Chakyar and party.
Ammannur Rajaneesh Chakyar is an internationally acclaimed exponent of Koodiyattam and a Sanskrit scholar. Scion of the Ammannur tradition, his gurus include Ammannur Kuttan, Madhava and Parameswara Chakyar. Recipient of several prestigious awards and Fellowships, this artist extraordinaire has performed at the Linz Festival, Austria, Indian Theatre Festival, Helsinki, Reithberg Museum, Zurich and Universita degli Studi di Padua, Italy.
At the introductory lec-dem by Bhadra Rajaneesh who presented a succinct summary, the salient features pertaining to Koodiyattam in general and the evening’s performance in particular, were explained. Some excerpts: This highly stylised performing art includes natyam, sangeetham, theatre, percussion and poetry. The chief elements are angika (mudras and body movements), satvika (facial expression), vachika (spoken verse ) and aharya (make up, costume, ornamentation and props).
The main artist performs solo or is joined by other actors. Pakarnattam (one artist enacting multiple roles), ilakiyattam and kottu vilakkuga are devices often used to highlight narrative. Characters such as Shurpanaka, Dusshasana and Ravana are differentiated by specific gait. Veshams include pacha , kathi , thadi , kari and minukku . A point to note is that Duryodhana is a pacha vesham in Koodiyattam, whereas in Kathakali, he dons kathi vesham. Involuntary applause greeted Madhav who demonstrated simha (lion) with mudras, facial expression and kinetics.
On to the performance. The Kurukshetra war is impending. Duryodhana (Rajaneesh) is poised to receive Krishna, peace emissary of the Pandavas, who has arrived the previous day and met the Kuru elders. Declining Duryodhana’s invitation to stay and dine with him, Krishna chooses instead to stay with Vidhura.
Against this back story, Duryodhana enters his court the next day. The solo act focuses on the Kaurava prince’s waiting and preparing for Krishna’s appearance. Smarting from the perceived insult to him, he outlines his counter strategy to insult Krishna. He orders all those present to remain seated when Krishna enters, failing which they will be fined 12 measures (bharam) of gold as penalty.
What of himself? To strengthen his resolve to belittle Krishna, he orders a specially commissioned chithra padam (painting) to be brought in. This painting portrays the vastrakshepam of Draupadi, her anguished outrage and the furious reactions of the Pandavas - Bhima shaking a pillar, Arjuna stringing his bow Gandhiva, Nakula and Sahadeva advancing with drawn swords and Yuddhisthira restraining them all. He rejoices in the memory of the humiliation he heaped on them.
A vignette of royal splendour, the grand entry ( pravesham ) was accompanied by panoply such as the ven chamaram , alavattam and kuda , all made to sway gracefully in perfect synchronisation with the uthareeyam veeshal and the artist’s regal gait. Palpably excited by the prospect of war, Duryodhana pictures himself breaking the foreheads of the Pandavas’ elephants and wrenching out their tusks.
The seamless transition in the pakarnattam segments when Rajaneesh alternated between the personae of Duryodhana and Kanchuki (a messenger) and those of Dusshasana and Draupadi was remarkable, as was emphasis on minute detail – the manner in which Dusshasana eyes Draupadi, drags her by her long, hair and Draupadi resists, running hither and thither, trembling in fear and exhaustion.
Remember, Duryodhana is a man who has spent a lifetime harbouring the delusion that his cousins are his greatest enemies. A delusion fuelled by Shakuni’s deadly conspiracy until it has become a hatred that consumes his every living moment. Picture the exultation of such a man witnessing his life’s goal, the destruction of his enemies, even if that destruction exists only in his mind’s eye.
He experiences a sense of accomplishment in offering the worst imaginable insult to Draupadi, by ordering her to sit on his bared thigh. As Duryodhana relives each moment, he laughs out loud in triumph. It was a laugh that chilled, a moment that stayed with you long afterwards,
due to the mesmeric force of Rajaneesh’s portrayal. A collage of visceral emotions was recorded on his visage, sectioned by the fiery vermilion of chayilyam , the shimmering blue-green of blended manayola and the white of the chutti . Augmented by kinetics honed to perfection, the result was a performance that transfixed.
Mizhavu drumming is the heartbeat of Koodiyattam, with edakka filling in the gaps. In the hands of
virtuosos, the percussion raised a storm, calmed to a steady tattoo and quietened to a whisper. The
chanting of slokas with a unique, stylised lilt infused an impassioned energy.
The accompanying artists excelled. Kalamandalam Rajeev and Ravikumar (mizhavu), Kalanilayam
Unnikrishnan (edakka), Bhadra (talam) and Kalanilayam Haridas (aharya) orchestrated the proceedings with quiet assurance, enhancing smooth flow of the narrative.
