ORIGIN OF KATHAKALI

Kathakali is one of the oldest theatre art forms in India. It originated in the area of southwestern India now known as the state of Kerala. Kathakali is a group presentation, in which dancers take various roles in performances. For themes Kathakali draws upon the inexhaustible treasure trove of the ancient puranas chronicling the lives loves and conflicts of the gods and men of Indian mythology. They typically deal with the Mahabharata, the Ramayana and the ancient scriptures known as the Puranas. This is performed in a text, which is generally Malayalam in Sanskrit.

Kerala, “God’s own country” is known to the world by its own performing art form Kathakali. "Katha" means tale and "Kali" means dance. Kathakali is considered to be a combination of literature, music, painting, acting and dance, as it is a beautiful mix of dance, drama and music. This is a form of dance formerly confined only to the festival stages in temples. Kathakali also symbolizes a blending of the Aryan and Dravidian cultures, for shaping its technique. This dance form assimilated various elements, which it borrowed freely from the dances, dramas and ritual performances associated with the culture.

The form of Kathakali as it is known today is not more than four hundred years old. Its actual roots can be traced to at least 1500 years earlier. The art of Kathakali incorporates the characteristic features of many of the dances and dramas and it is safe to say that Kathakali evolved out of the earlier dance forms like the Chakiayarkoothu and Koodiyattom in Kerala, various ritual dances associated with the cult of Bhagavathy, such as the Mudiyattu, thiyyattom and Theyyattom, the socio-religious and material dances such as the Sastrakali and Ezhamattukali and the lately evolved dance - dramas such as the Krishnanattom and Ramanattom.

TECKNIQUES OF KATHAKALI

Kathakali ranks high among the Indian dance forms, since it is a dramatic performance in which, the actors do not speak or sing, but interpret their emotions through highly sensitive medium by its vivid and persuasive mudras, natural and impressive gestures, graceful and rhythmic movements, pleasing choreography and above all delightful wealth of imagery. It is not realistic art but belongs to the imaginative type spoken of in Bharata`s Natya Shastra. Kathakali is predominantly a male art and the dancing is mostly of the masculine type.

THEME OF KATHAKALI

The most popular stories enacted in Kathakali 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 Shivas fight, from the Mahabharata), Karna Shapadham (another story from Mahabharata).

KATHAKALI PERFORMER

Usually, only men perform Kathakali. Men dressed in womens costume portray female characters However, in recent years, women have started to become Kathakali dancers. A Kathakali actor uses imense concentration, skill and physical stamina, gained from the training based on Kalari Payttu, the ancient martial art of Kerala, to prepare for the demanding role of a Kathakali actor. Training can often last for around 10-12 years before the actor can be considered acceptable. A Kathakali dancer has perfect control over the facial muscles and can express the various emotions (lasyams) with skill. The technique of Kathakali includes a highly developed language of gesture, through which the artist can convey whole sentences and stories. The body movements and footwork are very rigorous. To attain the high degree of flexibility and muscle control required for this art, a Kathakali dancer undergoes a strenuous course of training, and special periods of body massage.

A traditional Kathakali performance begins in the evening and continues throughout the night, culminating at the auspicious hour of dawn, when good finally conquers Evil. Today, however, it has been modified for the proscenium stage, and urban audiences can participate in this ritualistic theatre experience in the comfort of a plush auditorium, within the span of a couple of hours. In olden days Kathakali performance mostly took place on a temple premises or at the house of a local landlord. For a typical performance, a simple temporary stage at a height of 10 feet will be made. A minimum of 16X12 feet-square is needed for the acting area. A green room will also be located close to the stage

COSTUME AND MAKEUP IN KATHAKALI

Noted for its ancient costumes, lot of makeup and a grand headgear, Kathakali is perhaps the only dance form in India in which the masculine aspect of the dance is preserved in its elemental vigor. Kathakali costuming is intricate, elaborate and colorful and it takes 3 to 4 hours for the entire make up. The costume and make-up transform the actor mentally and physically to portray the character. The makeup is very elaborate and the costumes are very large and heavy

MUSIC IN KATHAKALI

Music is an important and essential element in Kathakali and it has some similarity to the larger body of South Indian classical music (Carnatic sangeet); however the instrumentation is decidedly different. Several poets have contributed a Kathakali script, which is called Kathakali Padam. Each "Padam" is a poem recited in one of the Karnatic music ragas. Aattakkadhakal (stories for dance), the poetic compositions of legendary stories to special metric scale, set to music in classical Carnatic style are danced out. Its local colour is strongly achieved by the use of instruments such as chenda, idaikka, and shuddha madalam.

The orchestra in it is composed of two vocal musicians, one keeping time with a resounding gong called chegala and the other with a pair of clanking cymbals called elethalam, a chenda player and maddalam player. The chenda is a cylindrical drum with a loud but sweet sound while the maddalam has the appearance of a big mridangam

Kathakali music has developed into a distinctive type of singing known as the sopana style, which is very slow tempo. There is neither raga, ragaalapana as such nor are their elaborations like niraval and swaral singing. Preventing the broad features of the ragas and adhering meticulously to the talas they sing the songs in such a manner as to give the actors full scope for abhinaya.