The great banyan tree at Kalakshetra played host to a short but intense and intimate performance of ‘Narakasura Vadhe’ in Yakshagana theatre form. The Yakshadeva Mitrakalamandali from Belvai village, Moodabidri, Karnataka, enthralled the students and staff of Kalakshetra and also rasikas at the Karnataka Sangha (Rama Rao Kala Mantap) where they performed ‘Dakshayaga.’
The voice of Patla Satish Shetty (as Bhagavathuru) matched the vibrancy of chende and maddale. It reached high octaves and kept a long hold on a very low note. If he drew repeated applause from the students in Kalakshetra, his very appearance on the stage drew a frenzied welcome at the Karnataka Sangha.
He cast a mesmeric spell on the audience with his singing that showed influence of popular light ragas. The way he has adapted them to the Yakshagana repertoire is admirable.
It is the Bhagavathuru, who actually directs the play. The actors take the cue from him and perform according to the script or improvise. The Bhagavatha becomes the ‘modalane vesha’ or the first role. The musical ensemble with the Bhagavatha, chende, maddale and tala is called the himmela. The actors who speak and dance are called the mummela.
Yakshagana retains its own musical system. The dance is fast and vigorous and is characterised by footwork with jumps and twirls. Hand gestures are limited and do not have a separate coded vocabulary as in Kathakali.
There was Akshay Kumar Marnad, whose roles of Satyabhama in ‘Narakasura Vadha’ and Dakshayani in ‘Dakshayaga’ made us forget that it was a man donning a female role. He excelled in both the roles. The role of Devendra was donned by the scholarly M.L. Samaga in ‘Dakshayaga.’ He created a rapport with the audience through his bright countenance and expressive eyes.
Yakshagana is an integral part of living theatre in coastal Karnataka. Yakshagana means the song of yaksha. In Hindu lore, they are the natural spirits that guard the natural treasures of the earth. Though there is a structure to the story, the actors can project a non-textual dimension through their improvised dialogue. The form is locally known as Bayalata (art in an open field).
Some believe that Yakshagana rose out of the Bhakti movement in South India as an amalgamation of classical and folk arts. It has a long history of 400 years and maturity, which does not belong to the folk genre and also has a primal vigour and space for improvisation, which do not allow it to be called classical.
Theatre folk forms are always alive to external influences. Technology has had an overriding influence on performance styles. A typical performance in the village lasts all night.
There are two styles of Yakshagana — The northern Badagutittu and the southern Tenkutittu. The two styles differ in costume, make up and performance but have the same stories and format. The Yakshadeva Mitramandali performs the Tenkutittu and has a closer resemblance to Kathakali in its costumes and the headgear (kirita or pagade). The common aspects of the costume are the bhujakeerthi that decorate the shoulders, and dabu or waist belt, all made of light wood and mirror worked with gold foil.
Under the banyan tree with no artificial lighting, the Yakshagana artistes created a magical atmosphere, moving amidst the aerial roots that provided a surreal background. The singing by the students of Kalakshetra in colourful practice attire made for a serene beginning. .
With its extempore dialogue, Yakshagana can accommodate anything from intellectual and poetic to trivial. It is this flexibility, which is its strength, uniqueness and identity.
