The single-scene version of Aswathi Thirunal Rama Varma’s Poothanamoksham Kathakali play is presented as a solo act, giving the actor on stage complete freedom to explore on his own. Kalamandalam Jishnu Ravi, a youngster known for his performances of female lead roles in Kathakali, recently enacted the role of Poothana in a delightful manner during a recital of the play.
Over the years, veteran actors have enhanced Poothana’s character by interpreting her actions in a different light. Following in the footsteps of his guru, the late Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair, chief instructor at Margi for over a decade, Margi Vijayakumar has been presenting the character for many years now. It was not surprising that Kalamandalam Jishnu Ravi, who also associates with Margi these days, took a similar approach in presenting the character.
The scene opened with Ambadi gunam in raga Kamboji, presenting a Poothana in awe as she watched the tall buildings of Ambadi at a distance. As the padam progressed, she got closer and closer to the house of Nanda. Jishnu did a wonderful job in portraying Poothana’s journey here, by visualising the scenic beauty of the place and then with a role-play of the gopis enjoying themselves by singing and dancing, all as Poothana’s observations. What makes the narrative all the more interesting are simple additions that highlight the actor’s eye for detail.
The play moved on to a different phase as Poothana entered the house and found little Krishna in a cradle. Though a cruel demoness, her maternal affection towards the child put her in a difficult situation. Either she needed to kill the child or get killed at the hands of Kamsa for disobeying his orders. Fear for her life forced her to go with the first choice and she eventually attained ‘moksha’ as she got killed by Krishna himself.
Jishnu tried his best to intensify these portions by making the most of the emotional turmoil of the character. Even then, a more spirited display of emotions would have made the act more captivating. However, Jishnu concluded it on a high note as he performed Poothana’s final moments in a quick span of time rather than elaborating it, which helped him end the scene with an impact.
Vocals recital by Pathiyoor Sankarankutty was enthralling. Kalamandalam Baiju was the supporting singer. Margi Ratnakaran was impressive on the maddalam and Kalanilayam Krishnakumar’s efforts on the chenda towards the end was up to the mark. The play was staged by Margi in Thiruvananthapuram.
