The second half of Ravanodbhavam by Kallekulangara Raghava Pisharody has not had much of an exposure for over a quarter century. Compared to the first half of the play that closes in on Ravana’s tapassaattam , the latter is slight in craft and content. This was presented at the TDM Hall, Ernakulam.
The play began with the thiranokku (when the audience catches glimpses of the character standing behind a curtain) of Ravana. Having attained all the desired boons from Lord Brahma, Ravana is in conversation with his consort, Mandodari. Sringarapadam Tharunaruna saarasa nayane and Mandodari’s reply Sallapangalembadadhuna are extremely explicit. The second scene started with the thiranokku of Soorpanakha, Ravana’s sister. An impatient Soorpanakha tells her brother of her desire to have a husband at the earliest. Ravana directs a messenger to bring Vidyujihuwa, the king of the nether world, as the prospective bridegroom.
An unhappy groom
Vidyujihuwa enters and does a fascinating thiranokku in the next scene. When he learns that he is to wed the invincible Ravana’s sister, Vidyujihuwa’s happiness knows no bounds. However, when he arrives in Lanka, he is not too happy with Soorpanaka’s looks. A disheartened and mortified Vidyujihuwa makes a futile attempt to escape Soorpanakha’s embrace. Ravana, however, ensures that Vidyujihuwa marries his sister.
Ravanodbhavam has Vidyujihuwa providing comic relief. Traditionally, his space in the play is restricted. Kottakkal Devadas as Vidyujihuwa, however, made a deliberate attempt to broaden the nature and scope of the character through an improvisation of the four-fold concept of acting. Devadas deserves encomium for his innovative aharya that added to the clownish traits of the character.
Kottakkal Devadas as Vidyujihuwa
When it came to Vachika , Devadas was flagrant especially when he meets Soorpanakha. Absence of brevity in verbal communication proved to be a threat to the visual impact he strived for. The chaste Valluvanad accent of the actor was, at times, incompatible with the context. In angika , Devadas employs a judicious mix of Natyadharmi and Lokadharmi. And his satwikabhinaya almost always treads over to popular theatrics enchanting viewers.
While the opening scene with Ravana and Mandodari adhered to the classicism of Kathakali, the scenes following the entry of Vidyujihuwa carried neither structural integrity nor aesthetic profundity.
The tone of interpretation here could easily be a target for sharp criticism by feminist thinkers as Soorpanakha turns into an object of derision in the eyes of the upper class elites. She could well be the symbol of the subaltern community whose voice is throttled in one form or the other in a classical dance-theatre like Kathakali.
The play was staged under the auspices of BEAME in association with Ernakulam Karayogam.
