S Sasikala Nedungadi has been performing Kathakali for 37 years. Except for a 13-year-break she took to raise her children, she has been a regular, giving life to numerous characters on stage. She is still as fascinated by Kathakali as she was when, as a child, she would watch it in absolute wonderment, Sasikala says.
She recently performed a piece choreographed by herself at the Ernakulam Siva Temple. Removed from the traditional format, Sasikala enacted a verse on ‘Ardhanareeswara’, set in sopana sangeetham style. A rare blend of sopana sangeetham and Kathakali, the 35-minute performance created a new platform for two art forms to mingle. Eloor Biju, who sang in his inimitable style, was an inspiration, says Sasikala. “He brings new life to sopana sangeetham and I wanted to compose a piece, which would not dilute the beauty of either sopana sangeetham or Kathakali.”
Kathakali gives the artiste immense scope for improvisation. Unlike in other dance forms, which can be rehearsed, Kathakali is what the artiste does that moment on stage. “Very often, we don’t even know who we are sharing the stage with, who the singers and percussionists are. It depends a lot on how the artiste improvises,” says Sasikala, enacting through mudras and facial expression, how she could describe the moon in very different ways.
Though she was a student of Mohiniyattam as well, Sasikala felt drawn to Kathakali. She found a mentor in Kalamandalam E Vasudevan Nair. Even before she started learning Kathakali formally, Sasikala and her elder brother, Sarath Kumar Nedungadi, (who is the director of the Cochin Cultural Centre) used to watch the monthly Kathakali performances at the Ernakulam Kathakali Club.
“We were children then and were so fascinated by it. We never missed a show, and sometimes, we would even be sitting on stage watching it. After the performance, we would be with the artistes, marvelling at their dress and make-up.”
The love for Kathakali deepened over the years and Sasikala got a chance to study under the late Padmashri Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair.
A number of women seriously pursue their interest in Kathakali, but the art form is still very male-oriented, feels Sasikala. “There are many women who do male roles, even villainous ones such as Ravanan and Narakasuran. I feel it is not right to compare a man’s performance with a woman’s. A woman performing Ravanan should be appreciated for her work and talent, not in comparison with a man’s performance of the same role.”
Chavitti uzhichil (a sort of body massage that is usually done by the asan ) is an integral part of the syllabus while learning Kathakali.
It is not done on women, and therefore, there would be a considerable difference in the way the body moves.
“It is rigorous and physically demanding as an art form. But there have always been women who have been learning and performing Kathakali and it is heartening to see so many young girls coming forward to learn and appreciate it.” Unlike in the past when a performance that starts at night would run into the wee hours, the duration has shortened to two to three hours, making it easier for women. Also, the proliferation of Kathakali clubs has made it a little more accessible to people.
Sasikala’s own daughter, an engineer by profession, is also a Kathakali artiste.
She performed Edassery’s famous poem Poothappattu with her daughter, who essayed Unni. “My dream is to perform with my granddaughter. She is only two, but when she is old enough to perform,” Sasikala says.
Sasikala prefers to do female characters. Except Krishna, she has not essayed male characters. Her favourite role is that of Damayanti in Nalacharitham Nalam Divasam .
“Oh, how much she cries. But I feel emotionally involved while playing Damayanti. The beauty of Kathakali is that without opening your mouth, you have to communicate emotions. Only the kathiveshams open their mouths . The rest have to convey everything through the face, eyes and hands.”
