Why Vazhenkada Vijayan preferred classrooms over stage? Premium

Revered Kathakali teacher Vazhenkada Vijayan, who passed away recently, enjoyed the process of training young aspirants in both theory and performance technique

Vazhenkada Vijayan as Arjuna in Santanagopalam. | Photo Credit: Suresh Malooty

Seven decades ago when Vazhenkada Vijayan enrolled as a student at PSV Natyasangham, his father Vazhenkada Kunchu Nair became his Kathakali guru. The training at Kottakkal, 40 km west of their village on the banks of the Thootha, went on for seven years. That was until Kunchu Nair got an offer from Kalamandalam and shifted to central Kerala’s Cheruthuruthy with his son and a handful of pupils. In 1963, Vijayan completed a decade of training in the dance-theatre under his father and other maestros such as Ramankutty Nair and Padmanabhan Nair.

Vijayan also learnt the difficult Kalluvazhi style of Kathakali. Later, he developed a keen interest in the theoretical aspect of Kathakali. In 1971, when he was appointed by Kalamandalam, he was already known as a capable teacher.

Vijayan, who was constantly on a quest to know more about the art form, preferred being in classroom than on stage. Even after his retirement from Kalamandalam as Principal in 1996, he continued to guide young enthusiasts and senior performers.

Vazhenkada Vijayan. | Photo Credit: Suresh Malooty

Though Vijayan performed occasionally, his presentations unveiled his all-round skills in character portrayal. From virtuous paccha (protagonists) to arrogant kathi (anti-heroes), his stage appearances guaranteed insights into the largely-unexplored inner feelings of, say, a dejected Pushkara (Nalacharitam) or lustful Keechaka.

Scholar V. Kaladharan says, “Vijayan was self-critical. Vijayan had definite ideas about the percussiveness of Kathakali. Since he knew the lyrics by-heart the encyclopedic Padmanabhan Nair used to get his doubts cleared from Vijayan.

Vazhenkada Vijayan playing an anti-hero in one of his Kathakali performances. | Photo Credit: Suresh Malooty

Vijayan’s students remember how he would teach them with patience and affection. Ottapalam Ramakrishnan recalls an incident from his days as a student at Kalamandalam. “I was below-par in enacting a song. Instead of ridiculing me, the master conducted special classes for me. Since master was often punished during his training days, he didn’t want to do that with us.”

In the mid-1990s, when Vijayan became the Principal of Kalamandalam, he continued to lead a simple life. “During the weekends, he would walk almost three km along the river near our home to take a bus to Kalamandalam,” says poet Indira Balan, the master’s sister. “Travels gave him the time to think.”

Like his father, Vijayan too received several awards and honours.