Although elaborate costumes and melodious music attract audience to a Kathakali performance, true appreciation of the art form can happen only when one comprehends its technicalities. Participants of ‘Bhasha Padanakalari’ organised by Malayalam Pallikkoodam and the State Institute of Languages got an opportunity on Thursday to gain some insights into the art form in a lucid manner. Offering them two hours of sheer joy of relishing the classical art form were noted Kathakali exponent Ettumanoor P. Kannan and his team.
The difficult task of explaining such a complicated art form was handled by Kannan with ease. He was accompanied by the energetic moves of his team comprising Kalamandalam Adityan, Kalanilayam Rajeev (vocal), Kalamandalam Raveendran (maddalam), and Kalamandalam Krishnakumar (chenda).
Different stories and tricks were employed by the performers to hold the attention of children who were themselves bubbling with energy. The class began with repeated explanations of ‘Navarasas,’ helping the children gain primary knowledge about the ‘bhavas’ and ‘rasas’ which helped them understand the technicalities of the Kathakali performances that followed.
History
The history of Kathakali was explained in the form of stories and examples from movies were used to provide a nuanced understanding of various aspects of the art form such as the way its is received by the lay person.
To engage children, stories set in forest were used for performances. The children were all smiles as they watched Kannan and his team presenting the story of a pregnant doe miraculously escaping from a cruel hunter and a cunning lioness giving birth to two fawns. “It is imperative for the children to understand various art forms, which will kindle a sense of belongingness to the motherland in their hearts. We do such sessions for children to help them understand the technicalities of Kathakali so that they can grasp the meaning of the ‘rasas’ and ‘bhavas’ in the performances when they view it elsewhere,” said Kannan.
