Ravana, the warrior
VINU VASUDEVAN
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Kalamandalam Mukundan wooed the audience with his perfect mudras and thalam.
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Photo: S. Gopakumar
MONOLOGUE: Kalamandalam Mukundan donned the lead role of Ravana.
It was a perfect display of veera bhava (valour) by Kalamandalam Mukundan.
Mukundan, an up-and-coming artiste working as a lecturer at Kerala Kalamandalam, wooed the audience with his perfect mudras and thala as he enacted the Ravana of Kallekulangara Raghava Pisharodi's `Ravanotbhavam.' Mukundan's training under eminent artistes like Kalamandalam Vasu Pisharodi and Balasubramanian stood him in good stead in bringing Ravana to life.
Organised by Vyllopilli Samskriti Bhavan as part of their monthly cultural programme in the capital city, the play, presented by Sandarsan Kathakali Vidyalaya, Ambalappuzha, depicts the development of Ravana as a warrior.
Flashback method
Narrated in a series of flashbacks, the first two hours of the play shows Ravana talking about his past in a monologue. He speaks of his childhood memories as he traces his progress as a warrior. He recollects how he was jealous of his brother Vysravana, and how his mother reproached him and advised him to do penance with his two brothers, Kumbhakarna and Vibheeshana. As a result of his penance, Brahma grants him a boon and finally a triumphant Ravana defeats Vysravana.
`Thapassattam,' which portrays the three brothers' penance, has been choreographed by Kaplingad Namboothiri. A highly structured play, `Ravanolbhavam' is considered a classic example of kathi vesham. It is also a test of stamina as the play is two-and-a-half-hours long. Kalamandalam Vijayakrishnan (Kumbhakarna) and Kalamandalam Subhash (Vibheeshana) handled their roles well.
Kalamandalam Vijayakrishnan and Kalamandalam Subhash played the chenda as Kalamandalam Hareesh and Kottakkal Suresh sang. Kalanilayam Manoj and Kalabharathi Rajivan played the maddalam.
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