Kathakali takes centre-stage today at Technopark. Natana, the campus’ cultural club, is hosting a performance of Kiratham , a popular attakatha that dates back to the 19th century. And donning the lead role is one of Technopark’s own – Sethunath Unnikrishnan Nair, general manager and head, Cloud Services at IBS Software.
A native of Ambalapuzha, Sethunath has been learning Kathakali since he was in class four and continued training in the art form until he moved abroad for work when he was 28. “One of the reasons that I actually came back home was because I missed Kathakali and missed performing it,” says Sethunath, 44, a disciple of Kalamandalam Sreekumar, former head of the Department of Kathakali at RLV College, Tripunithura.
Since his arangetam at the Sree Krishna temple in his hometown, playing the role of Krishna in Purappad, when he was in class eight, Sethunath has appeared on many stages in different veshams. And that includes playing the lead role of Bhima in a performance of Kalyanasougandhikam Kathakali at Technopark back in 2011. “The framework and training of Kathakali is such that any trained actor can play any role. So, I’m comfortable in any of the male veshams – pacha, thadi, chuvannathadi, kari... I’m too tall and as a result rather ungainly for female veshams. Each role in Kathakali is defined individually that you don’t really need to practise as a troupe before you stage a play. I practise on my own for an hour or so every day,” he says.
The techie-actor says he is looking forward to the performance. “Last time Kathakali was staged in Technopark around 500 people showed up, which just goes to show that there is a big audience for such classical art on campus,” he adds.
Sreekumar will be joining his protégé on stage as Kirathan and Kalamandalam Arun Varier will appear as Kattalasthree/Parvathy. Kalanilayam Arjun Subramanian dons the role of Shiva.
(Kiratham will be staged at Technopark’s Amphitheatre at 6 p.m.)
As Arjuna
In today’s performance, Sethunath will be enacting the lead role of Arjuna. Kiratham , an excerpt from the Aranyaparva of the Mahabharata, tells the tale of how Lord Shiva and his consort, Parvathy, in disguise as a hunter (Kattalan) and his wife (Kattalasthree), teach Arjuna, the value of humility. During the course of the three-hour-play, the attakatha follows Arjuna as he tries to win the right to use the mighty Pashupatastra from Lord Shiva by offering penance in a peaceful ashram by the banks of the Ganga. Meanwhile, Duryodhana has deputed an Asura (Mookasura), disguised a wild boar, to kill the Pandava.
