The stories for Kathakali plays are normally taken from epics such as the Mahabharatha and the Ramayana. Apart from this, some attakathas were derived from poems and plays as well. Pannisseri Nanu Pillai, who wrote Nizhalkkuthu, had also written a Kathakali play about the life of Adi Shankaracharya years ago. Recently, Sadanam K. Harikumar has choreographed a new Kathakali play, Namami Shankaram , which deals with the inner struggle and principles of Shankaracharya. The play was premiered at Gandhi Sevasadanam Kathakali Academi, Perur, near Palakkad as part of its 65th anniversary.
Emotional appeal
The two-and-a-half-hour play tried to convey the philosophy of Advaitha, propounded by Shankaracharya.
The play begins with child Shankara playing with his mother, Aryamba. Although she refuses to give him permission to become a saint, she is forced to relent, albeit reluctantly, when he is caught by a crocodile.
After this, Shankara sets out on the journey to propogate the Advaita philosophy. Towards the end of the play, he encounters Kapalika. When the latter tries to kill Shankara , Lord Mahavishnu come to his rescue in the avatar of Narasimha (half-lion-half human). In the end, Adi Shankaracharya is shown ascending the Sarvajna peedam or the throne of wisdom.
Harikumar wrote the lyrics, composed the music and choreographed the play. Although the lyrics were simple, effective selection of ragas made it memorable. The challenges he faced was in terms of costumes and in designing the scenes.
Shankaran’s role, was presented as two sections — Bala Shankara and Shankara. The former appeared in the first scene only.
Breaking conventions
The costume and make-up for Shankara’s character might have appealed to traditional Kathakali enthusiasts. The lack of a central ‘pacha’ or ‘kathi’ character too might invite criticism from a conservative audience.
Although the play has a place in the category of new attakathas, Harikumar’s choreography that did not really rise up to expectations. The scene where the crocodile attacks Shankara could have been more effective with better costumes and Kathakali-oriented movements.
Peesapally Rajeevan and Sadanam Arjun
Seasoned artiste Peesappally Rajeevan enacted Aryamba’s role with elan. Shankara’s entry was marked by a small but effective kalasam. Sadanam Arjun, an up-and-coming artiste, did justice to the role of Shankara. Rajeevan’s spontaneity and versatility stood out in the scene.
Sadanam Vipin Chandran, who essayed the role of Shankaracharya, was the pick of the play. Vipin, with his lean physique, was perfect for the role. His evocative eyes and and hand gestures were the highlights of the performance. Sadanam Manikandan, a senior artiste and faculty member of Gandhi Seva Sadanam, enacted the role of Narasimha. Although he was on stage for a short duration, he made an impression with his power-filled movements. Sadanam Mohanan (Mandanamishran) and Kalamandalam Praveen (Patni) were the other artistes in the play.
Singing was led by Sadanam Harikumar with Sadanam Sivadas, Sadanam Jyothish Babu and Sadanam Saikumar accompanying him. Sadanam Ramakrishnan and Sadanam Jithin were on the chenda, while Sadanam Rajan, Sadanam Devadas and Sadanam Jayarajan were on the maddalam.
