Katha-kali (literally translated as Drama-Dance) is one of India’s ancient art forms originating in the southern-most state of Kerala. Kathakali is believed to have evolved over the centuries into its present form sometime in the 16th-17th century CE.
“The Rajah of Kottarakkara, a small principality in Central Travancore, wrote plays based on the Hindu epic Ramayana in Sanskritized Malayalam which could be understood by ordinary people; hitherto the stories had been enacted in pure Sanskrit, which was known only by the learned few.
Thus did Kathakali as an individual style of dance-drama emerge as ‘people’s theatre’ from the traditional dances of the past. The plays were performed by the Rajah’s own company of actors not only in temples and courts but from village to village and house to house. The new art form (called ‘Ramanattam’ - ‘”Rama” from the Ramayana and ”attam” meaning dance) soon became very popular all over the Malayalam speaking area. The feudal chieftains of Malabar (as the area was then called) began to vie with one another in their efforts to produce the best Kathakali troupes, and this competition contributed to the rapid development of the art in a very short period. One important result of this development was the composition by the Rajah of Kottayam, in North Malabar, of four plays in verse based on stories from the more colourful Hindu epic, Mahabharata. These are regarded by many connoisseurs as the best examples of Kathakali literature.”
(These excerpts were taken from the book “A Guide to Kathakali” by David Bolland.)
The bright and colourful make-up, flowing costumes, percussion music, coordinated hand and eye movements of the artistes, have always appealed to both locals as well as tourists. However, most viewers tend to disconnect once the performance has started. This is largely because of the lack of understanding of:
1. The Language - which is Sanskritized Malayalam
2. The Story - from the Hindu epics like Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavata Purana
However, nowadays, at most Kathakali demonstrations that are organized in auditoriums an English version of the story is handed over in advance or the emcee explains the story in English (as well as in Malayalam) to the audience. The real thrill of watching a Kathakali performance however is when it is conducted open-air. They start late in the evening and continue until dawn. As night falls, the shadow effect created by the lone, tall, oil lamp and the reverberation of the music and the open air setting makes for a thrilling experience.
The stories on which Kathakali is performed has also evolved. In recent times “The life of Jesus Christ” and “Shakespeare’s Othello” was performed by Kathakali artistes. This is a very good trend and will help Kathakali become a more global art form.
The Kathakali artistes don’t speak their dialogues they only communicate through mudras (hand gestures) and facial expressions what the singers sing in the background. The artiste uses the mudras to explain each and every word sung by the singer, which we can pick up if we pay close attention. The make-up of the character also reveals the role played and helps in connecting with the story-line, see images and accompanying text above.
When you visit Kerala enquire with your travel agent or the hotel staff if there is a live Kathakali performance happening somewhere close. It will be an experience that you will relish for a very long time.
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