Play of subtle expressions

The rarely staged first part of ‘Subhadraharanam’ was performed in Edappally by a group of competent artistes.

A scene from ‘Subhadraharanam’ Kathakali.

In the current repertoire of Kathakali, ‘Subhadraharanam’ play enjoys critical acclaim, both for its stylistic refinement and thematic progression. The first part of the play deals with the marriage of Arjuna, the third of the Pandavas, to Subhadra, the sister of Balarama and Krishna. Compared to the second part, which is eventful with an enraged Balabhadra questioning his brother Krishna for the abduction of their sister by Arjuna, the first part is rather slow-paced. Hence the first part of the play remained almost unknown to the audience for a long time until Kalamandalam Gopi revived it with his theatrical adroitness and imaginative prowess. The play was recently staged at Changampuzha Park, Edappally, under the auspices of Kathakali Aswadaka Sadas and the Cochin Shipyard Ltd.

The play began with the scene preceding the marriage between Arjuna and Subhadra. Lord Krishna received Lord Indra who comes over to Dwaraka to see whether his son Arjuna’s wedding with Subhadra could be solemnised with the consent of Krishna. Predictably, Krishna agrees to it. The scene was devoid of warmth and flavour as the communication between the two was cursory. Even the words of Krishna eulogising Indra for his valour in containing the ego of the demon, Jambha, were lacklustre.

The wedding-scene that followed was, however, momentous with valamthalamelam on the chenda. Although this melam is present in most of the Kathakali plays now in vogue, valamthala is played only for a couple of minutes except for ‘Subhadraharanam’.

An aura of auspiciousness enveloped the whole atmosphere with the

ennams played impeccably on the right surface of the chenda, denoting the sacred nature of the marriage ceremony. Kalamandalam Shanmughan as Arjuna vividly expressed his feelings while being garlanded by Subhadra.

In the following scene, Kalamandalam Adithyan as Lord Krishna was at his best while praising the glory of Arjuna and appreciating the grandeur of the wedding attended by one and all. Whichever his role on stage, Adithyan’s identification with the character is exemplary.

Shanmughan fluently enacted the famous padam, ‘Kashtam Njan Kapatamkondu’, referring to his stay at Dwaraka disguised as a Sanyasin to woo Subhadra. The third scene was devoted to Arjuna addressing his bride, Subhadra, beginning with the padam, ‘Kanjadalalochane’. The unhurried pace in which the padam unfolds as the actor details each and every metaphor such as Kamadeva’s arrow, lotus-like face of Subhadra and her thick, dark hair bore the imprint of classicism.

The last scene in which Arjuna displays his heroism by readying himself for a battle with the soldiers confronting him fell short of the requisite amount of involvement and expression. Kalamandalam Vipin as Subhadra, though graceful, was, at times, a bit too stoic.

Kalamandalam Babu Namboodiri supported by Kalamandalam Hareesh sang the slokams and the padams mellifluously while retaining the solid structure of the rhythm and the tempos effortlessly. Kalamandalam Balasundaran on the chenda and Vineeth on the maddalam contributed to the success of the recital considerably.