In February 2023, ‘Abhijanna Sakantalam’ was performed in the Kodiatam style at Kalakshetra as part of the Silver Jubilee of the Prakriti Foundation. Photo credit: KARUNAKARAN M
The Sanskrit theater tradition of Kerala, Kodiyattam, is said to be the last surviving performance art in the classical language, and the oldest continuous dramatic tradition.
The Israeli Indologist David Dean Shulman once traced the historical background of the form, originating in the Natya Shastra, to its own individual development and adaptation to the local environment to produce a local form. Far from following the linear movement described by Natyashastra, the characters move back and forth in a non-linear narrative, allowing the audience to tune in to the thoughts presented to peek into the minds of the characters. Another specialty is ‘pakarnatham’ – change acting – where an actor playing a role also narrates multiple roles.
From the Kodiyattam performance ‘Abhijanna Sakantalam’ held at Kalakshetra as part of Prakriti Foundation’s Silver Jubilee celebrations. | Photo credit: KARUNAKARAN M
Kodiyattam is also a very demanding art form — it requires the full attention of the audience. Many of the subtleties and nuances that make up the vocabulary of a performance would otherwise be lost. This fact was re-emphasized in the recent performance of Kalidasa’s work ‘Abhijanna Shakantalam’ by Nepathiya at the Kalakshetra Auditorium, as part of the Prakrit Foundation’s Silver Jubilee celebrations.
Kalidasa’s ‘Shakantalam’, which was not part of the traditional Kodiyattam repertoire, has been added by recent practitioners. Nepathia’s Margi Madhav shares her thoughts on this classic.
As part of the Silver Jubilee celebrations of the Prakriti Foundation in February 2023, a Kodiyattam performance in ‘Abhijanna Skantalam’ by Napthiya Margi Madhu, Kalakshetra. Photo credit: KARUNAKARAN M
The first act describes Dushanta’s hunting expedition with his chariot, chasing the deer that enters sage Kanwa’s ashram, the king’s entry into the ashram, his glimpse of Shakuntala and his meeting and love. It was a story of two and one. Half hour presentation.
Persuasive imagery.
As part of the Prakrit Foundation’s Silver Jubilee celebrations, a sequence of ‘Abhijanna Skantalam’ performed at Kalakshetra, showing the dancers aiming their arrows at the king reining in the deer, chariot horses. | Photo credit: KARUNAKARAN M
After the traditional insertion of the characters behind the Theresalai – Porpado – the image of the king with an arrow aimed at a deer, the chariot reining the horses and a conversation between the two. The communication through gestures and facial movements was so captivating that the audience could relate to the difficult rides every day as the chariot moved through the rugged terrain. Napthiya Sri Hari Chakyar, who plays the charioteer, is very expressive in his responses to the king, the reining of the horses and the depiction of the chariot’s turmoil.
Emphasis on abhinya
The main emphasis on Makhabhinaya reaches a climax when Dushanta describes the scenes inside the ashram.
A Kodiyattam performance at Kalakshetra, from ‘Abhijanna Skantalam’, as part of the Prakrit Foundation’s Silver Jubilee celebrations. | Photo credit: KARUNAKARAN M
Madhav describes Shakuntala’s beauty in detail. And Induji played the role of Shakuntala with conviction.
The narrative was illustrated by the dancers’ natural talents and their communicative powers, but the accompanying musicians contributed largely to the overall aesthetic experience. Every twitch of the eyebrows, and every movement of the hands and body is echoed with perfectly synchronized sounds — Mazahu by Kalanandalam Manikandan and Neptiya Janesh, with Kalanilayam Rajan on Adaka. Thala was by Nepathya Anandi and makeup by Kalamandalam Satisan.
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