‘Rukmangadacharitham’, a Kathakali play composed by Mandavappalli Ittiraricha Menon, like his other play ‘Santhanagopalam’, is considered a virtue-dominant episode (sathvika katha), sans wicked characters. It abounds in unswerving devotion to the Almighty, by completely effacing the self, symbolic of the highest form of sacrifice.
In King Rukmangada it is manifest in his total surrender to destiny and his final resolve to behead his heir-apparent, Dharmangada, taking care not to shed even a single tear, while the boy lies on his mother’s lap, as demanded by Mohini, for protecting his oath he had given her. The silent witness of this horrible scene, queen Sandhyavali, consoles her husband and tries to boost his mental strength through a timely cue to be steadfast to his vow.
Mohini, the divine enchantress landed as ‘the other woman’ in the life of the pious king at Lord Brahma’s behest to test the intensity of the king’s commitment to perform Ekadasi rites flawlessly.
The performance showcased the histrionic talents of seasoned artistes – Kalamandalam Balasubramanian and Margi Vijayakumar as Rukmangada and Mohini respectively supported by Pathiyoor Sankarankutty and Kalamandalam Krishnakumar in music and Kalamandalam Krishnadas on the chenda and Kalanilayam Manoj on the maddalam.
The opening scene revealed Mohini with Rukmangada. She commences a sari dance – a strictly choreographed piece used for the entrance of female characters whose intention, in general, is to charm another character on the stage. In accordance with the tradition, the padam sung in Erikkilakkamodari ragam set to Champa tala was not acted, but it provided the ambience congenial to the context as it described the excellence of her body and behaviour, giving an opportunity for Rukmangada to enact his responses to each of her features.
Vijayakumar, as usual, captured the attention of all connoisseurs by the sari dance itself and continued to ensure their whole-hearted appreciation till Mohini left for her celestial abode, after fulfilling her mission. Balasubramanian showed laudable sense of appropriateness in describing the physical beauty of Mohini. Subsequent to the king’s oath offered to her that he would never commit even the slightest act of disaffection toward her, he narrates to her his past experience of coming to be convinced of the greatness of regularly observing Ekadasi rites. It constituted an adequate backdrop for the two successive scenes.
The conversation between two Brahmins about the king obtaining a consort called Mohini when he went to the forest for hunting, their appreciation of the ruler’s attention in performing Ekadasi rituals without any lapse and thier anxiety to ensure that they reach the dining hall well in time – all these provided insights, sparkling with humour into how society responds to tidings related to royalty.
In the final scene, the interaction between the king and the enchantress was a delightful treat on account of the dexterity of the veteran actors. The discouraging response of the king to Mohini’s invitation to amorous games, its development step by step to repulsion and abhorrence was vividly delineated by Balasubramanian.
Dharmangada, enacted excellently by Kalamandalam Jishnuravi, took the sword and handed it over to him. As he raises the sword to strike, his physical weakness overpowers him; while he looks at his son, the sword drops off his hand and he faints. Reviving, he embraces the boy. Then his eyes are successively fixed on the sword, Mohini, Sandhyavali and his son, along with appropriate expressions.
While such developments take place, Mohini prays to the Almighty for averting the possible calamity, revealing beyond any doubt, that her whole purpose was, in fact, holy – testing His devotee and paving the way to the king’s and queen’s salvation.
In the final scene, when the King raises the sword after requesting Mohini to watch what he does, the curtain is partially lowered, Lord Vishnu appears and holds the king’s hand, providing the spectators a sudden sigh of relief.
Kalamandalam Sudeep had two roles to play: Sandhyavali and one of the Brahmins. And he did everything befitting the context. In the absence of the artiste who was assigned the role of the second Brahmin, Margi Venugopal, the chenda artist, performed that role and filled the scene with pleasant humour. Kalamandalam Athul acted as Lord Vishnu.
The performance was organised by Drisyavedi.
