P ercussion maestro Kalamandalam Eswaran Unni is almost apologetic when he tells you that he returned home past midnight as he had a programme the previous evening that went on well past the wee hours of the day. Moreover, he has to go to Kalamandalam for his classes, where he has been head of the department of Mizhavu for the last 26 years. So he agrees to speak about his role as an actor and his lifelong engagement with the mizhavu in the noon. The inimitable percussionist appears as chenda maestro Chethali Raman Marar in auteur Shaji N. Karun’s Swaapanam . He is also the mentor of the protagonist, played by Jayaram. Excerpts from an interview with the mizhavu guru…
Working in tinsel town
My association with cinema began with [G.] Aravindan’s Kanchanaseeta, in which I played the mizhavu in the opening scenes of the film. That was how I first met Shaji, the cinematographer of the film. That led to many encounters with cinema and filmmakers. I got an opportunity to work with Adoor Gopalakrishan and again with Shaji when he was making a documentary on the mizhavu. My debut as an actor was in Sasi Paravoor’s Nottam , when I played Achuthan Nambiar. That was a pleasant experience and so I was not too nervous when I had to play a role in Swapaanam . All credit goes to the filmmaker. I was thrilled because I got an opportunity to play Chethali Raman Marar. In fact, I have seen the titan performing and it was an unforgettable experience to essay him in the film. I had learnt the chenda as a child. Thus it was not difficult to breathe life into the character.
On a different beat
Born in a small village at Mannampetta, near Sreekrishnapuram in Palakkad, I had always been enchanted by the chenda. My ambition was to learn the chenda at Kalamandalam and at the age of 13 I came to study here. I did not get admission to learn chenda but managed to get admission to the newly begun mizhavu course under the wing of the legendary P.K. Narayanan Nambiar, my Guru. He designed a syllabus for systematic training on the mizhavu in 1965. I was the first mizhavu student who was not a member of the Nambiar community. It was a great honour to be taught by greats such as my guru and Painkulam Rama Chakyar. They motivated me to give my best but they were disciplinarians who were not prepared to accept shoddy work from their students.
Training in Kalamandalam
In those days, the new building at Kalamandalam had just about come up but our classes in the morning were at the old building. We had classes soon after we woke up at 4 a.m. After lunch we had to walk to the new building for classes in sahitya and Sanskrit. I also learnt the chenda from Kalamandalam Achunni Poduval and Kalamandalam Chandra Mannadiar, and chutti (art of Kathakali make-up) from Kalamandalam Govinda Warrier. Theory was usually taught in the evening. We went to bed by about 9.30 p.m. The discipline ensured that we were thoroughly trained in many different aspects of percussion, including the legends, rituals and so on associated with it in Kerala. On completion of the three-year course and a one-year diploma, I became the first student of mizhavu to be given a scholarship from the Central government. I won it for three years.
Graduating into a teacher
Following my training from Kalamandalam, I learnt the thimila from Pulapatta Rama Marar and Kongad Vijayan. In 1981, I joined Margi, Thiruvananthapuram, as a teacher of mizhavu. But I quit after a year when I got a job in Kalamandalam. I began working in Kalamandalam on August 2, 1982. Ever since my guru’s retirement in 1986, I have been head of the department. When I retire next year, it will be with the satisfaction of shaping many batches of mizhavu players who are now earning laurels themselves. Mizhavu has traditionally been played by male percussionists. But I taught my eldest daughter Sri Vidya to play the mizhavu. It was a memorable moment when she accompanied her younger sister Sri Divya during her Koothu performance for the school youth festival and won a prize too. While teaching for seven months at Stony Brook University, New York, among my students was Laurel. Now, there are a few women who are learning or have learnt to play the mizhavu.
The performer
I am constantly thinking of innovations and experiments on the mizhavu. I adapted the Panchari melam on the mizhavu and was blessed to play it for an august audience that included my Guru and K.G. Paulose, the then Vice-Chancellor of Kalamandalam. Another unforgettable performance was when I got the opportunity to play the mizhavu along with nine disciples of mine for the birth centenary of Painkulam Rama Chakyar. I have also designed a keli on the mizhavu and a thayambaka with the maddalam. Mizhavoli is a percussion ensemble that I structured.
I have given performances in many places in the United States, France, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Poland, Holland and Germany.
Writing on the mizhavu
Mizhavoli is a book I authored. Although I lost some money on it, that has not stopped me from writing on this celestial instrument that is used for auspicious occasions. I am in the process of writing two books that will be completed and released soon. After my retirement, I plan to design more rhythmic ensembles on the mizhavu and also write about all that I know.
