| Kathakali |
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| Kathakali is a form of Indian dance-drama. It originated in the South Indian state of Kerala over 500 years ago and is considered one of the oldest dance forms in India. It is a spectacular combination of drama, dance, music and ritual. Characters with vividly painted faces and elaborate costumes re-enact stories from the Hindu epics, Mahabharatha and Ramayana... |
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Kathakali is considered to be a combination of five forms of fine art:
- Literature (Sahithyam)
- Music (Sangeetham)
- Painting (Chithram)
- Acting (Natyam)
- Dance (Nritham)
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Almost always, the viewer is told or is supposed to have knowledge of the story being enacted before the start of a Kathakali play.
The most popular stories enacted are Nala Charitam (the story of a king betrayed by gods), Duryodhana Vadham (a story from the Mahabharata), Kalyanasowgandhikam (the story of Bhima going to get flowers for Panchali, from the Mahabharata), Keechaka Vadham (another story of Bhima and Panchali, from the Mahabharata), Kiratham (Arjuna and Lord Shiva's fight, from the Mahabharata), Karna Shapadham (another story from Mahabharata).
Recently, as part of an attempt at popularizing the art, stories from other cultures, such as the story of Mary Magdalene from the Bible, and Shakespeare's King Lear have also been adapted into Katahkali scripts. |
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The language of the songs used for Katahkali is a mix of Malayalam and Sanskrit. Several poets like Unnayi Warrier have contributed a Kathakali script which is called Kathakali Padam. Each "Padam" is a poem recited in one of the Karnatic music ragas. |
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The Kathakali show is usually conducted at night and ends in early morning. The actors will be accompanied by percussionists and singers. The lead singer controls the entire show with rythmic beats of a special musical instrument. |
| A Kathakali actor uses immense concentration, skill and physical stamina, gained from training based on Kalaripayattu, the ancient martial art of Kerala, to prepare for his demanding role. Training can oftenlast for around 8-10 years before the actor can be considered acceptable. In Kathakali, the story is enacted purely by the movements of the hands (called mudras or actions) and by facial expressions and bodily movements. A Kathakali dancer has perfect control over the facial muscles and can express the various emotions ('lasyams') with skill. There are 24 main mudras and numerous other lesser mudras. Each can again can be classified into 'Samaana-mudras'(one mudra symbolizing two entities) or misra-mudras (both the hands are used to show these mudras).The main facial expressions of a Kathakali artist are the 'navarasams'.
Drummers, singers, make-up artists and costumers complete the ensemble of highly trained specialists, to present a Kathakali performance. |
