Kathakali exponent Kottakkal Chandrasekharan and team had a different interface with students of the Government Higher Secondary School at Puthuparamba on Wednesday.
The higher secondary and high school students got a rare chance to learn Kathakali from a close distance as Mr. Chandrasekharan took them to the nuances of the Kerala art form.
Delhi-based non-governmental organisation Society for Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture Amongst Youth (SPIC MACAY) provided an ideal platform at the school where the children had an unforgettable date with the Kathakali artiste.
Mr. Chandrasekharan began the session by explaining the basics of Kathakali and showed them the steps and exercises and 24 mudras. He also showed them how mudras make words and sentences. Introducing the instruments of Kathakali to the curious children, Mr. Chandrasekharan explained the difference in the use of chenda and maddhalam. Even some teachers stood in amazement as he told them that edakka was being used only with female characters and chenda indicated evil characters.
His presentation of the navarasas provided a refreshing experience to the crowd as he made them feel such emotions as humour, anger, surprise, and romance.
Then came a small presentation of an episode from Nalacharitham .
The students could easily understand the language of Kathakali as Mr. Chandrasekharan gave them real-time Malayalam translation in consonance with Kathakali music.
“We are doing it as part of completing 1,000 shows and workshops in the State this year. The response has been wonderful,” said Unni Variar, SPIC MACAY coordinator.