KOCHI: An affable personality and an inimitable artiste, a combination hard to get. That was how Kathakali maestro Kalamandalam Gopi described his bosom friend and percussionist Kalamandalam Kesava Poduval.
The Chenda mestro had mastered the craft for Kathakali after proving his skills in ‘Thayambaka’. For an artiste associated with the ‘Malamakkavu’ style, the changeover to play an accompanying instrument for Kathakali was a personal choice.
To Poduval’s credit is the fact that he has always tried to bring out the best in others — as an artiste, teacher, and a friend.
It is his gentle and inspiring personality that prompted his students to make a documentary on their Guru.
The function ‘Nadakesavam’ to release the documentary was organised at Thripunithura the other day by Poduval’s students led by Gopikrishnan Thampuran. Besides Gopi Asan, those who came to honour the maestro were percussionist Mattannur Sankarankutty, actor Babu Namboothiri, Maddalam maestro Kalamandalam Nambeesankutty, Kathakali melacharyan Aayankudi Kuttappan Marar, Chottanikkara Surendran Marar, and Thripunithura MLA M. Swaraj.
Thiyyadi Vasudev, who directed the 20-minute documentary, was honoured by actor Babu Namboothiri on the occasion.
