Kannagi is beyond doubt one of the strongest heroines in the whole of Indian literature. The main protagonist of the Tamil classic from the Sangam period, Silappatikaram , and the story of her anklet continues to delight readers, centuries after the epic was written by Ilango Adigal.
This immortal work was translated into Malayalam by poet and lyricist S. Ramesan Nair three decades ago. An interesting dramatisation of the poem, with lavish accompaniment of music and dance, was presented by MATHA (Malayalam Theatrical Heritage and Arts) at the Tagore Centenary Hall here on Monday.
The show was premièred as part of the 10th anniversary of the Perambra-based cultural organisation, which has to its credit quite a few presentations based on poetry. A near full house was there to watch Silappatikaram .
And it proved an enjoyable evening for those lovers of art, as the show succeeded in bringing to life the tragic tale of Kannagi and her husband Kovalan, who is wrongly accused of the theft of the anklet belonging to the queen and is beheaded. Kannagi avenges his death by destroying an entire kingdom. Anjali Cheekilode and Jithesh Muthukad played Kannagi and Kovalan with conviction.
The show was directed well by Kanakadas and he had the excellent support of composer Surendran, who has done justice to the poem with some melodious tunes. Fine efforts by singers Ajay Gopal and Roshini deserve mention too. As does dubbing artiste Vimmi Mariam George, a State Film Award winner.
Dances were choreographed by Lajna, who has conceived most of the sequences well, but she deserved better and more synchronised effort from some of the back-up dancers. The show also could have probably worked better with fewer dialogues.
