A group of tech-savvy Kathakali aficionados in Palakkad launched an Android app on Saturday. It will serve as a window to the vast world of the celebrated art form of Kerala, gaining appreciators transcending language and cultural barriers.
According to T.M. Vikar, a Singapore-based IT professional from Palakkad, he and his friends initiated the project to make appreciation of Kathakali easier for both researchers and the common man.
The app, named Kathakali, has an exclusive section comprising all available Attakkathas. There is another section that takes the user to audio recordings of major Kathakali performances. A dictionary of Kathakali terminology helps people understand words and usages peculiar to the art form. There is a section that provides links to best articles on Kathakali and the towering personalities who immortalised various Attakathas. There is also a listing of Kathakali performances happening worldwide. Organisers can access this section to add details of the programme they are planning.
According to Shaji Mullukkaran, another IT professional behind the project, efforts are on to make available platforms based on Windows and Apple IOS. Initiated with the help of the Vazhenkada Kunchu Nair Trust, the group is also in the process of bringing out YouTube recordings of major performances.
According to Sunil Elamkulam of the team, the group is in the process of preserving the contributions of luminaries in the field for future generations.Their activities began last year by digitally documenting contributions of Madambi Subramanian Namboodiri, known for his efforts to preserve the purity of Kathakali music by resisting radical progressivism. A website kathakalipadam.com has also been formed to make performing art more accessible to enthusiasts and researchers. “Kathakali is winning wider audience across the globe. But the enthusiastic appreciators find its language tough. We aim to break the language barrier by making available translations,” said Mr. Elamkulam.
“We will add more sections to the app soon. People can relish vocal and instrumental music of the art form, percussion, theatre, mimesis, and dance by just picking up a smart phone,” said Mr. Mullukkaran.
