I t is a proud moment for the art and the artiste when a comprehensive volume like Kutiyattam - The Heritage Theatre of India on Kerala's Sanskrit theatre tradition, reaches the lover of the art form and the new learner.Delhi-based Sudha Gopalakrishnan, the author, comes with the impeccable credentials of being a true learner, dedicated in her efforts to give Koodiyattamits rightful space.
She is the author of From the Comic to the Comedic: Comparative Study of the Traditions of Comedy of Bhasa and Shakespeare , Nalacharitam: Text and Theatre Manual , Krishnagiti (translation of Manaveda's Krishnagiti), and Kaikottikkalippattukal (compilation of songs along with Radha Madhavan). Dr. Sudha says that apart from her parents' active support, the major influences in her life have been “my intensive training in Kathakali under Mamkulam Vishnu Namboothiri, late D. Appukuttan Nair (founder of Margi), who was a father-like figure, and, the lateAyyappa Paniker, who was not just a Ph.D guide.” In an e-mail interview, she talks about her latest book and her efforts in preserving and popularising India's heritage. Excerpts…
How have things shaped up since the UNESCO recognition came for Koodiyattam?
It has become more open to an outside world and the actors are also conscious of this change. They have agency and responsibility like never before. There is a constant engagement and challenge to interpret tradition from the perspective of today. However, while trying to adapt, they need to first focus on mastering the art thoroughly. (Quick-fix solutions won't do).
New choreography has sprung up, with varying standards and sometimes with scant attention to details. Globally, theatre scholars and practitioners have started recognising (and learning) Koodiyattam.
A creditable number of candidatures prepared for the UNESCO recognition - Koodiyattam, Vedic chanting and Ram Lila. What was it like doing the ones on Vedic chanting and Ram Lila?
Well, three different types of challenges! Unlike Koodiyattam, Vedic chanting had ‘sakhas,' so the focus was on five of them which were at the risk of immediate extinction! I travelled all over India, visiting Veda pathasalas, meeting scholars and Vedic practitioners. (Unlike Koodiyattam, it is not a cohesive community). Apart from the unique value of Vedic recitation, it encodes the wisdom contained in the Vedas, without infiltration of corruption or even the slightest change down the centuries.
Ramlila again has diverse traditions, regional variations, performance practices. We documented many forms but the scale and grandeur of the Ramlila of Ramnagar which lasts for 31 days is to be seen to be believed!
What made you direct your energies to establish the National Manuscripts Mission?
In the vast manuscript wealth of India lies the ‘memory of the world.' Estimated at five million and said to be the largest collection in the world, these are varied in themes, vibrant linguistic literary content and traditions, aesthetic elements and intellectual interests. Today, many lie neglected and are on the verge of destruction. An ambitious five-year project, the Mission sought not merely to locate, catalogue and preserve India's manuscripts but also to enhance access, spread awareness and encourage research.
The Sahapedia is another online venture which is directed towardspreserving the past, what prompted the initiative?
Sahapedia is an open, online resource on Indian culture, heritage and the arts. It aims to be the definitive web encyclopedia on Indian – and broadly South Asian – culture and heritage.
Sahapedia is a people's encyclopedia and provides a platform for people to contribute their knowledge of Indian culture.
In all these decades away from Kerala, how did you sustain the interest in Koodiyattam?
I have always maintained close contact with the culture and the people. Once you experience it in the way I think I did, I could not ‘abstain' from it, as simple as that!
Thiruvanathapuram days were wonderful. I have still a strong bonding to the city.
An Epic Work
T alking about her book, Dr. Sudha says: “In my book, Kutiyattam - The Heritage Theatre of India, I tried to focus on its history, aesthetic background, the amalgamation of indigenous performance traditions with a broader Sanskritic, Natya Sastra-based theatric prescriptions, the rigour of training which prepares an actor for a life time, the different codes and conventions of acting, theatric grammar, rituals and stage conventions, and finally the art form at the cross-roads of history – the impact of UNESCO proclamation, and the challenges before an actor while “representing” situations in the epics. Scanty information is available for an eclectic viewer. I have tried communicate to a wider user group and to cater to a general, but informed audience.” The book, published by Niyogi, will be released in the city on September 5.
