A master retires
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Renowned Koodiyattom maestro Kalamandalam Sivan Namboodiri reaches another milestone in his life.
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Sivan Namboodiri
KALAMANDALAM SIVAN Namboodiri, popular Koodiyattom performer and teacher, is retiring from the Kerala Kalamandalam, his alma mater, after spending four decades at Kalamandalam as a student and later as a member of the faculty. After the grand old man of Koodiyattom, nonagenarian Ammannur Madhava Chakyar, Sivan Namboodiri is the foremost living performer of prominent characters of the art form.
He was one of the first two students of Koodiyattom at the Kalamandalam when the art form was introduced there in 1965. Sivan was trained by late legendary maestro Painkulam Rama Chakyar.
Initiation
With his initiation into Koodiyattom, Sivan became the first non-Chakyar and non-Nambiar to take up the art form. In fact, he approached the Kalamandalam to train in Kathakali. But, after the interview, Kathakali maestro Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair suggested that Sivan take up Koodiyattom. Until that moment "I had not even heard of the word Koodiyattom," says Sivan.
Masterpiece roles
All `paccha veshams' and `katthi veshams' and the role of Bali are what he excels in. His performance as Ravana of `Thoranayudham' and `Jatayuvadham' have won the heart of Koodiyattom and theatre aficionados the world over. For a classical portrayal of Ravana in stories such as `Thoranayudham' (in which Ravana acts as Lord Siva and Parvathi as well) and `Jatayuvadham' (acting of the famous sloka `Naham bandhura gatri'), Sivan is hailed as the master among the exponents of the art.
Dhananjayan (Arjunan) in `Subadhradhananjayam' and as the saint in 7th century farce `Bhagavatjukeeyam' are his other celebrated roles.
Setbacks
Rated as the best among Koodiyattom artistes today, Sivan had to suffer a lot of insult and humiliation at the beginning of his career as he was a non-Chakyar. There were instances when traditionalists insulted and sent away Sivan from venues, when he accompanied the Kalamandalam troupe, even when Rama Chakyar was alive.
Rama Chakyar too had to suffer humiliation for training Sivan. The traditionalists were later compelled to seek Sivan's dates, a rare honour that he earned through his unequivocal artistry. Sivan believes that all the honour he has received in his career is because of the hard work of his guru and his blessings.
Even now this senior artiste is not allowed to perform in the koothambalams of the temple, mainly because the Chakyar community attached to such temples never endorsed his stage presence for professional reasons and traditional outlook. What makes Sivan so popular among theatre aficionados is his aharya (costume effect in characterisations) coupled with the quality of restrained Satwikabhinaya within the restricted format of the art form. The training provided by Rama Chakyar is well discernible in his artistry. An ideal combination of all these qualities makes his performances captivating.
Honours
During his student days, Sivan won the prestigious gold medal for best Koodiyattom artiste for three consecutive years at Margi's (Thiruvananthapuram) Saratholsavam. In 1971, after watching his performance at the Kalakshetra, Rukmini Devi Arundale hailed his "understanding exposition of the very subtle technique of abhinaya."
Smithsonian Institution, Washington, has honoured him with their prestigious certificate of appreciation. The first Mrinalini Sarabhai award for most outstanding Indian artist and the State Sangeetha Nataka Akademi award are among the several honours that he has received.
K.K. GOPALAKRISHNAN
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