Spectrum of emotions
G.S. PAUL
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The emotional intensity and dramatic narration of ‘Karnasapadham’ have made it one of the most popular plays.
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Play of emotions: Kalamandalam Gopi, right, and Kottakkal Sivaraman in ‘Karnasapadham.’
Four decades and thousands of stages after, Mali’s ‘Karnasapadham’ continues to be a phenomenon among the myriad Kathakali plays in vogue. Perhaps it is the only modern play that has survived the taste of connoisseurs whose penchant
for traditional plays is widely known.
The unprecedented turnout of Kathakali fans when ‘Karnasapadham’ was staged in Regional Theatre, Thrissur, under the joint aegis of Thrissur Kathakali Club and Thrissur Kendra of Doordarshan, was indication enough of the popularity of this play.
Fine actors
Even as one cannot ignore the role of Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair for catapulting the play to centre stage within a short time of its composition in the Sixties, it is also true that Kalamandalam Gopi’s Karna and Kottakkal Sivaraman’s Kunthi turned the play into one of the most sought-after ones during later years. Fortunately for aficionados of Thrissur, while the cast was not different for the show, it also featured Sadanam Krishnankutty (Duryodhana), Kalamandalam Shanmukhan (Bhanumathy) and Kavungal Divakara Panicker (Dussasana).
What makes the play noteworthy is the array of anecdotes packed with emotional intensity. Bhanumathy, Duryodhana’s spouse, laments over the disasters that the war (Mahabharata) has in store for the Kauravas, especially her husband. But Karna consoles her by eulogising his patron’s invincibility. Karna’s soliloquy on the banks of the Ganga is one of the high points of the play. The Kunthi-Karna encounter that follows is sure to remain etched in the minds of all who witnessed the scene. Abhinaya soared to dizzy heights as Sivaraman performed with graceful movements and Gopi’s subtle reactions to it spoke volumes.
The wide spectrum of emotions that Gopi depicted, including his lighter comments to Dussasana and Duryodhana, were demonstrations of his inimitable artistry. Sadanam Krishnankutty made his presence felt through bewitching movements. While Shanmukhan was the quintessence of feminine grace, Divakara Panicker’s Dussasana never exceeded the limits of ‘Chuvanna thaadi.’ Kalanilayam Unnikrishnan’s rendition of padams such as ‘Karna, deenadayalo, yaachaki,’and ‘Vaalsalya vaaridhe Karna’ embraced both musical and emotional contents. He was assisted by Kottakkal Madhu. Kalamandalam Unnikrishnan (chenda) and Kalamandalam Narayanan Nair (maddalam) provided the percussion support.
However, many of the feats peculiar to Kathakali were conspicuous by absence. While ‘thiranokku’ of ‘kathi’ (Duryodhana) was only partial, that of ‘chuvanna thaadi,’ a must, did not take place at all. ‘Cholliyattam’ was very scarce. For reasons known to them, the artistes appeared contented with communication through mudras only. ‘Dhanaasi’ for ‘kathi’ and ‘chuvanna thaadi’ was quite unconventional.
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