I n their ongoing series, ‘Pandavayanam’, comprising excerpts from the four classic Kathakali plays authored by Kottayam Thampuran, Uthareeyam, jointly with the Kerala Kala Samithi, featured a segment from ‘Kirmeera Vadham,’ performed by the Kalachetana kaliyogam, Cheruthuruthy.
The episode narrated an incident from the life of the exiled Pandavas after they lost the game of dice to the Kauravas.
Responding to the imperative summons of the ‘keli’, the vibrant percussive announcement marked the start of the performance, a sizeable crowd assembled outside the CLT auditorium on IIT campus, Chennai. The performance that followed kept them glued to their seats for the next three hours.
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As vocalists Kottakal Vengeri Narayanan (ponnani) and Sreerag Varma (singidi) warmed up with the vandana slokam, the purappadu was ably performed by Kalamandalam Arun Raju.
In the Kamyaka forest, Arjuna has killed the rakshasa Shardoola. The scene opens with the detailing of the character of Simhika, wife of Shardoola, through Sanskrit verses.
The black-clad, hideous ‘penn kari’ (Kalamandalam Shibi Chakravarthi) making her entrance brandishing clumps of veppila (neem leaves) and uttering blood-curdling cries (alarcha) marks the start of the karivattam.
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Unaware of her husband’s death, the rakshasi is in a relaxed mood, engaged in her toilette, as she waits for his return. Attempting to beautify herself, she examines her rancid tresses, plucks and breaks coconuts, oils her hair and anoints her forehead with sandal paste.
Reactions such as those of Simhika recoiling from the odour of her own matted hair and roaring when her eyes smart from her application of kohl, drew amused smiles from rasikas.
The fine beat-to-beat synchronisation of percussion with Simhika’s gestures while at play (pandhu kali), miming the throwing and catching of a ball, were especially noteworthy.
Wondering why Shardoola has not yet returned, Simhika hears human voices discussing Arjuna’s killing of her husband.
In grief and anger, she resolves to avenge his death by using Draupadi to lure the Pandavas to the lair of her brother Kirmeera, who can kill them.
Accordingly, she assumes the form of a beautiful woman, Lalitha ( Haripriya Namboothiri) and approaches Draupadi (Kalamandalam Vishnu Mon) when she is alone, the Pandavas having gone to the river Ganga nearby, with their guru, to perform sandhyavandana.
Professing friendship, she introduces herself as an apsara.
She urges Draupadi to visit and pray at a Durga temple in the forest and offers to lead her there. Lulling Draupadi’s apprehensions with poetic allegory, the verse in which Lalitha says that the forest welcomes Draupadi by brushing her forehead with blossoms shed by passing tree branches was a study in nuanced portrayal.
However, when Draupadi grows alarmed and tries to wrench her hand away, Simhika reveals her true self.
The transformation, highlighting the contrast, was effected with dynamic energy by Haripriya.
At this point, Sahadeva (Kalmandalam Arun Raju) rushes to Draupadi’s rescue.
Of note, edakka and maddalam were played during the female (Lalitha and Draupadi) role enactments, with chenda and maddalam being used only when the male personae and the penn kari, equated with a male role, were portrayed. The vocals shone with strength and subtlety, particularly in the elaboration of the sopana sangeetham-derived raga Navarasam in padinja padam that carried shades of Kurinji and Navaroj.
Percussion by Kalamandalam Ravi Shankar (chenda and edakka) and Kalamandalam Venu (maddalam) featured riveting moments.
The excellent make-up by Kalanilayam Rajeev stood out for the intricate tracery of white dots on the red and black-hued visage of the penn kari vesham and in subtle variations of the motifs decorating the faces of Lalitha and Draupadi.
His efforts were complemented by costumers Kottakal Kunjiraman and Kalachetana Rajan.