Kutiyattam: The Heritage Theatre of India by Sudha Gopala-krishnan throws light on an ancient theatre form from Kerala that supposedly dates back to nearly two millennia
Kutiyattam: The Heritage Theatre of India by Sudha Gopala-krishnan throws light on an ancient theatre form from Kerala that supposedly dates back to nearly two millennia
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Dressed in traditional costumes and jewellery, with his face painted in different hues, an actor moves swiftly from the role of Ravana to Sita and to Rama. The actor mouths dialogues in Sanskrit, but conveys the narrative through facial, expressions, gestures and movements. This theatre form, Kutiyattam is the only surviving Sanskrit theatre form in India and is the most ancient classical art form of the county. Kutiyattam: The Heritage Theatre of India by Sudha Gopalakrishnan gives readers an understanding of this traditional art form, which is believed to date back to about two millennia.
Ravana's grand entry in the play Asokavanikankam
The Kutiyattam code
Kutiyattam is based on the plays of renowned Sanskrit playwrights of the country and a single play can last for about eight to twelve days. "The specialty of Kutiyattam is that on most occasions, a single actor takes on different characters and performs each one convincingly. An actor who has been playing Ravana, gets into the role of Sita and he is more graceful and feminine than any female. It demonstrates the power of an actor. The second most important aspect is the facial expressions and the Netra Abhinaya (eye expressions). These are more sophisticated in Kutiyattam than in any other art form," says Gopalakrishnan.
With brilliant photographs of the performing actors and the translation of the performance manual of 'Asokavanikam', an act from a play titled Ascharya-chudamani, in the form of an illustrated example; Gopalakrishnan hopes to introduce this ancient art form to a larger audience. Kutiyattam was initially restricted to the temple and according to Gopalakrishnan, the 18th and 19th century was not great for Kutiyattam. But after the intervention of the Kerala Kalamandalam and the formation of an institute called Margi, the art form was revived and popularised to a large extent. "If people understand the grammar of the art form, they can understand and appreciate its beauty. I took the art form to Paris, were the audience loved it," adds Gopalakrishnan.
Kutiyattam: The Heritage Theatre of India by Sudha Gopalakrishnan, published by Niyogi Books; Rs 2,495.
Available at all leading book stores.
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