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The rise of Ravana

ENTHRALLING:Vazhenkada Vijayan essays the role of Ravana in ‘Ravanothbhavam' staged by the Palakkad Kathakali Trust.

Ravana was mighty and arrogant. He believed in the policy of ‘deserve, desire and demand.' He only gave orders and obtained all his powers by demanding them.

This was well presented in ‘Ravanothbhavam' Kathakali staged by the Palakkad Kathakali Trust in its monthly programme at M.D. Ramanathan Auditorium, Chembai Memorial Government Music College here on October 16. The play, almost fully as soliloquy, narrates how the ten-headed Ravana obtained several boons from Brahma, the lord of creation.

As a child Ravana was sleeping in the lap of his mother, Kaikasi. He was suddenly woken up by teardrops fallen from the eyes of his mother. He learns that his mother saw his stepbrother in the sky proudly flying the heavenly plane belonging to their father.

She was sad that her son did not have any heavenly privileges Vaisravana enjoyed.

Ravana decides to change the situation, and together with his two younger brothers, starts the saga of penances to please Brahma. Brahma did not appear even after Ravana's long stay in prayers surrounded by fire. He decides to ‘do or die' and starts sacrificing his heads, unflinchingly, one after another in the fire. When he was about to cut off his tenth one, Brahma appears and grants all the boons demanded by him, intended to make him most powerful.

On receiving them, Ravana dismisses Brahma. He was, however, disappointed to learn that his brothers were stupid enough to ask for boons that made them vulnerable and even inimical and he rebukes them for it.

Sure enough, Ravana could appropriate all the heavenly privileges for himself. These were denied to him even though he too was son of a senior demigod.

The play is hinged on the single character of Ravana, and Vazhenkada Vijayan did full justice to the role. His scholarship, training and experience added lustre to his performance. A stickler to traditions, the role suited him, said E. Somapalan, a Kathakali critic.

Performances of Kalamandalam Balaraman assisted by Venumohan on the Chenda and Narayanan Nair with Ramnakutty on the Maddalam were of high order and enthralled the audience.

Performance of Sadanam Vishnuprasad as Kumbhakarna and Arun Babu as Vibheeshana was adequate.

Though the scope for music was limited, Kalamandalam Narayanan Namboodiri and Sadanam Sivadas did a fine job in this area, said P.K. Narayanan of Kathakali Trust.

G. Prabhakaran

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