Having a dear friend watching your performance will definitely energise an artiste. For 64-year-old Kathakali maestro Kottakkal Sasidharan Nair, the K.P. Kesava Menon Hall in Kozhikode gifted such a precious moment on Monday.
Mattannur Sankarankutty, renowned percussionist and close friend of the artiste, called on his beloved companion in art with a bouquet of love. ‘Bharatham Mohanam,’ a special dance programme staged by Mr. Sasidharan Nair was thus culminating on a fulfilling note.
“I never expected him at this venue though I had informed him on phone about the one-and-a-half-hour show. When both of us stepped into art, only poverty was the binding thread,” said Mr. Sasidharan Nair, without hiding his intense feeling, after the performance. We were not fortunate to gain adequate education in our time, but, by the grace of our Gurus, we could take the art to world nations, a proud artiste said.
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An emotionally moved Mr. Sankarankutty, who hugged his friend on stage, wept many times while recalling their days together and the way they both surmounted the days of penury. He was watching a live performance of his friend after a gap of six years. All along the special show, the delight was palpable on the face of Mr. Sasidharan Nair who took the audience to the enchanting world of Navarasa through his performance. The artiste who beautifully blended Bharathanatyam and Kuchipudi with the Kathakali-based performance won audience’s claps several times.
The dance was based on the story of Lord Krishna and his depiction of ‘Poothana Moksham,’ ‘Rasakreeda,’ ‘Draupadi Vasthrakshepam’ and ‘Kaliyamardanam’ won applauds aplenty.
The artiste, who has performed Kathakali in over 50 countries, explained that his attempt was to mix “a few drops of honey with Kathakali” to make it more delicious for the ordinary people.
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The programme, organised by the Manjeri-based Kerala Art and Literature Academy, was inaugurated by M.P. Veerendrakumar.