The voices of the inanimate
|
Tholubommalaata albeit its modern avatar evoked good response.
|
BEHIND THE SCENES The `Tholubommalaata' in progress.
The Tholubommalaata (puppet show) depicting the Sundarakanda from the epic Ramayana organised in Kalabharati last week by Visakha Music and Dance Academy evoked good response. Sri Nataraja Nilaya Charma Chitra Samithi, headed by 60-year-old Anaparthi Subba Rao of Kakinada presented it.
The team comprised his family members, A. Venkataratnam, in-charge of narration along with Subba Rao, A. Papa Rao (acting animation), T.S. Narayanamma, anardhanamma, Pallalamma and Lakshmi (beat with cymbals and raga rendering), T. Konda Babu (harmonium), A. Yedukondalu (mridangam), T. Pavana Kumar and T. Narasimha Murty (stage management and direction).
As the evolvement of the name of the association indicates, some change seemed to have occurred in recent times in the presentation of the 600 odd years old art. Conspicuous was the change in the idiom and intoning of the narration part including the versified dialogues in the poetic drama mode and the lyrics sung in the rather modern formmellow and artful. Similarly, the animation seemed to have also become a bygone feature. Simple shaking of the sticks to which the fully stretched skin puppets much bigger in size of the same make and elaborately painted depicting nature of the character including the costume, coiffure and ornamentation very clearly has become the fashion.
The transparency towards obtaining a fascinating silhouette effect was a welcome feature in place of blurred images which were mistaken to be shadows and the technique a shadow play. But the fact that the native charm of rusticity of the art in all its facets was a casualty in the process, stood glaringly underscored.
A.R.S.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Entertainment
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
