‘Abhijnana Sakuntalam’ in Koodiyattam fashion carried out at Kalakshetra as a part of Prakriti Basis’s silver jubilee in February 2023.
| Picture Credit score: KARUNAKARAN M
Koodiyattam, the Sanskrit theatre custom of Kerala, is alleged to be the final residing efficiency artwork within the classical language, and the oldest steady dramatic custom.
Israeli indologist David Dean Shulman as soon as traced the historic background of this way, which has its origin within the Natya Shastra, and its personal particular person development of improvisation and adaptation to the native milieu to develop an indigenous type. Shifting away from following the linear motion of narration as prescribed by the Natya Shastra, the characters transfer forwards and backwards in a non-linear narrative, main the viewers to peep into the minds of the characters as per the concepts being portrayed. One other attribute is ‘pakaranattam’ — transformational appearing — the place the actor performing a task additionally delineates a number of characters.
From ‘Abhijnana Sakuntalam’, a Koodiyattam efficiency, held at Kalakshetra, as a part of Prakriti Basis’s silver jubilee celebrations.
| Picture Credit score:
KARUNAKARAN M
Koodiyattam is a really demanding artwork type too — it requires complete focus from the viewers. The numerous nuances and subtleties that type the vocabulary of a efficiency will in any other case be misplaced. This truth was re-emphasised at a latest efficiency of Kalidasa’s work ‘Abhijnana Shakuntalam’ by Nepathya at Kalakshetra Auditorium, as part of Prakriti Basis’s silver jubilee celebrations.
Kalidasa’s ‘Shakuntalam’, which was not part of the normal Koodiyattam repertoire, has been included by latest practitioners. Nepathya’s Margi Madhu shared his conceptualisation of this traditional.
Nepathya Margi Madhu in ‘Abhijnana Sakuntalam’ a Koodiyattam efficiency at Kalakshetra, as a part of Prakriti Basis’s silver jubilee celebrations in February 2023.
| Picture Credit score:
KARUNAKARAN M
The primary act describing Dushyanta’s searching expedition together with his charioteer, chasing the deer that runs into Sage Kanva’s ashram, the king coming into the ashram, catching a glimpse of Shakuntala and assembly her and falling in love was the storyline of this two-and-a-half- hour presentation.
Convincing portrayal
Dancers depicting the king aiming his arrow on the deer, the charioteer reining within the horses, a sequence from ‘Abhijnana Sakuntalam’, carried out at Kalakshetra, as a part of Prakriti Basis’s silver jubilee celebrations.
| Picture Credit score:
KARUNAKARAN M
The normal entry of the characters behind a Thiraiseelai — purappadu — was adopted by the depiction of the king aiming his arrow on the deer, the charioteer reining within the horses and the dialog between the 2. The communication taking place by means of gestures and facial actions was so charming that when the chariot moved by means of bumpy terrain, the viewers may correlate it to the bumpy rides they expertise daily. Nepathya Sreehari Chakyar, who performed the charioteer, was very expressive in his responses to the king, the depiction of the horses being reined and the turbulence of the chariot.
Emphasis on abhinaya
The core emphasis on mukhabhinaya reached a pinnacle when Dushyanta describes the scenes throughout the ashram.
From ‘Abhijnana Sakuntalam’, a Koodiyattam efficiency at Kalakshetra, as a part of Prakriti Basis’s silver jubilee celebrations.
| Picture Credit score:
KARUNAKARAN M
Madhu described intimately Shakuntala’s magnificence. And Indu G performed Shakuntala with conviction.
The imagery of the narrative unfolded by means of the innate expertise of the dancers and their communicative powers, however the accompanying musicians contributed in a big measure to the general aesthetic expertise. Each twitch of the eyebrow, and each transfer of the palms and physique discovered resonance with completely synchronised sounds — mizhavu by Kalanandalam Manikandan and Nepatya Jinesh, accompanied by Kalanilayam Rajan on the edakka. Tala was by Nepatya Anandi and make up by Kalamandalam Sateesan.