Kathakali – Kerala’s Unique Artform
May 29, 2008
Three hundred years old dating back to the late 16th century, Kathakali (Story Play) is a classical dance form from the state of Kerala in South India. The term Kathakali has is derived from the Malayali words Katha – Story and Kali – Play. During its evolution Kathakali has imbibed much from folk and martial arts, with a happy blending of all art forms, such as, dance, music, instruments, literature, painting and acting into this most unique art form that is part ballet, part opera, part masque and part pantomime.Entertainment that begins only after dusk has fallen, Kathakali relates ideas and stories taken from the great Indian epics i.e. Mahabharata and Ramayana, including the Puranas. All about exquisite facial expressions and hand gestures, the Kathakali dance is staged amid the beat of drums, gongs and cymbals, while in the background the story unfolds through a sung narrative. Wearing colourful clothes and donning elaborate head dresses made out of intricate woodcarvings and glittering ornaments, it takes an expert craftman more than two painstaking hours to complete a dancer’s makeup.
Heralded by a great beating of the drums accompanied by a gong, a rich, happy blending of colour, expression, music, drama and dance, there is no other arform that can parallel Kathakali, which is a combination of five elements of fine art and 101 classical stories. For example, Kathakali is composed of Natyam – facial expressions, Nritham – rhythmic dance movement with special emphasis on hands, legs and body, Nrithyam – dramatic element emphasising mudra or hand gestures, Geetha – song accompaniment, Vadyam – instrument accompaniment.
In itially, Kathakali stories or plays were meant to last a whole night, however, with the advent of other entertainment avenues, such as, the cinema, TV etc. concise versions consisting of dramatic or popular portions of individual stories lasting from a couple of hours to four are gaining increasing popularity. A classical artform appreciated by novices and connoisseurs alike, Kathakali makes frequent use of “Lokadharmi” or elaboration of folk elements, which helps novices understand the nuances of Kathakali. Recently, in a bid to popularise the rt, stories from other cultures, such as, Mary Magdalene’s story from the Bible, Homer’s Iliad, Shakespeare’s King Lear have all been adapted into Kathakali scripts.
Traditionally conducted at night and ending early morning, Kathakali was only performed in temple precincts, houses of nobles or princely palaces. Entrancing viewers with mudras or hand gestures that are a kind of sign language that tell a story, rasas or facial expressions that express nine feelings eg. Sringaaram (amour), Haasyam (ridicule, humour), I(fear), I(pathos), I (anger, wrath), I (valour), Beebhatsam (disgust), Adbhutham (wonder, amazement), Saantham (tranquility, peace), Kathakali is set to ragas based on Carnatic music. Called Sopanam, a distinct style of rendition that incorporates the moods of temple songs sung at the birth of Kathakali and that continue to be sung at some temples, Kathakali delights viewers on a visual, auditory,sensory scale.
The most interesting aspect of Kathakali is its elaborate make-up code classified into five basic sets, namely Pacha, Kathi, Kari, Thaadi, and Minukku. The differences between these sets are the predominant colours applied to the face. Pacha, which means green has it as the dominant colour and is used to portray noble male characters said to have a mix of Satvik (pious)and Rajasic (kingly) in their nature. Rajasic characters with a strreak of evil in them (tamasic = evil), such as, Ravana the demon king use red as the predominant color on a green background. Totally evil characters like demons make use of predominantly red make-up, including a red beard. Tamasic characters i.e. uncivilized hunters have a predominant black make-up base and black beard. Women and ascetics forming the fifth class have lustrous, yellow faces. In addition, a white beard is used to depict Hanuman and Lord Shiva.
Sadly, this ancient artform is dying out as youngsters who might have once become Kathakali dancers, are drawn to modern dance forms that can earn them fame and glory. Paying lip service, the Indian government has done little to revive Kathakali training centres. The future of Kathakali looks grim and bleak and it would be a tragedy on a national scal, if future generations of Indians are deprived of experiencing this important aspect of India’s artistic heritage. So, when down south on a visit to Kerala renowned as God’s Own Country, don’t forget to take in a Kathakali show, applaud the dancers, praise their talent, keep the torch burning bright for Kathakali. May it live long, continuing to delight future generations of young Indians!
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