Yakshagana, the traditional theatre form of Karnataka, was staged in the capital city by Sree Karthikeya Kalanilayam, a troupe from Kasaragod. The play 'Mahishasura Vadhe', based on the poem penned by Agari Sreenivasa Bhagavath, traces the life of the buffalo demon Mahishasura from birth to death. Being more of a folk art form, the Yakshagana follows a simple narrative style that appeals even to the common man.
The play opens with Indra (A.G. Nair) sharing his worries with Agni (Madhuraj Edaneeru) on account of the frequent attacks on heaven by the asuras. Along with other actors on stage, Bhagavatharu and at times even the percussion artistes reciprocated to the dialogues of the main actor and the uniqueness of the art form was pretty much evident from the first scene itself.
The play narrated the story of the buffalo-headed warrior who, eventually, defeats the Gods and occupies heaven. How the gods defeat the asura is narrated in the play.
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In Yakshagana, the arrogant Mahishasura seems to have a sense of humour as was evident from the way the character was presented. Shekhara Jayanagara donned the role and did a good job. At times he entertained the crowd with some witty dialogues and actions, but effectively brought in those moods of rage whenever required.
Balakrishna Seethangoli excelled in the roles of Malini (Mahishasura’s mother) and Sridevi (the goddess who finally vanquishes Mahishasura).
When it comes to music and percussion, Yakshagana follows its own unique melodic modes and beat patterns. Mahesh Bhat Bayaru (Bhagavatharu), Ishwara Bhat Ballamoole (chende, a miniature version of chenda), Balakrishna Achegoli (maddale) and Rithesh Patali (chakrathala or bells) comprised the himmela (musicians) group and amply supported the mummela (dancers) group. However, the poetry and dialogues being in Kannada, it proved a challenge for the audience to follow the lines precisely. But then, familiarity with the storyline and the illustrative nature of the art form certainly helped to break down the language barrier for Malayalis in the audience.
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It was organised by Bharat Bhavan as part of 'Mazha Virunnu', a cultural programme.