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Consummate actor: Nelliyode Vasudevan Namboodiri has reinterpreted negative characters in Kathakali.

Fierceness in form, quick movements and slapstick comedy were hallmarks of great actors of yore like Vechoor Raman Pillai, who immortalised the roles of Dussasana, Baka and the like. Brevity and spicy humour became key tenets in Vellinezhi Nanu Nair’s presentation of ‘tamasic’ characters.

In the latter half of the last century, Nelliyode Vasudevan Namboodiri, who was honoured with the Dr. K.N. Pisharodi Memorial Award recently, unhesitatingly undertook the task of redefining characters such as Kali in ‘Nalacharitam’ and Nakrathundi in ‘Narakasuravadhom,’ thereby redefining their identities within the structure of Kathakali.

While seeking admission to Kerala Kalamandalam, Vallathol watched Nelliyode’s protruding nose and large eyes and is reported to have said: “Thaadi veshams seem to be his ultimate forte.”

A disappointed Nelliyode left for P.S.V. Natyasanghom, Kottakal, and enrolled there for training under its then principal teacher, Vazhenkada Kunju Nair. Kunju Nair appreciated the boy’s enthusiasm for Kathakali and hunger for knowledge. Rigorous tutelage followed. When Kunju Nair was appointed Principal of Kalamandalam in the late Seventies, he brought his disciples along with him. Nelliyode had, by then, received a scholarship from the Central Ministry of Culture for advanced training. He continued his training at Kalamandalam.

Although Nelliyode nurtured the ambition of donning Pacha and Kathi characters, there was no way he could escape Vallathol’s prophecy.

Nelliyode soon made his mark on the stage as Kali, Thrigartha, Dussasana, Baka, Veerabhadra, Nakrathundi, Simhika and so on.

Of over a dozen characters he has performed, Kali and Nakrathundi are astoundingly pungent. His expressions of sringara, hasya and shyness, when portraying the two characters, carry an indelible charm. He enriched the depiction of Kali’s 12-year-long wait to malign the austere king Nala with an aattam adopted from ‘Baalivadhom’ Koodiyattom. Kali’s lust for Damayanthi, burning jealousy towards Nala, disillusionment and vengeance find the most profound expression in the histrionic talents of Nelliyode.

As Nakrathundi, the female-demon, Nelliyode depicts the primordial carnal instincts of the character blinded by her infatuation for the incredibly handsome Jayantha, son of Lord Indra. His ‘theriperakkal,’ (attempts at beautification), followed by a piece of coquettish dance as Nakrathundi is a matchless segment of artistry.

As Bakasura, Nelliyode becomes appetite personified while watching Bhima swallow big morsels of food. As Veerabhadra, he watches with bated breath the fumes stemming from Lord Siva’s third eye, denoting Siva’s rage against king Daksha. As Baali, Nelliyode has interspersed the churning of the Palazhi as an aattam to magnify the might of the monkey-king. The facial make-up of his Narasimha in ‘Prahladacharitam’ is awe-inspiring. Diametrically opposite is Nelliyode’s presentation of Kuchela, the impoverished Brahmin.

By rescuing the ‘tamasic’ characters from imbecility and hollow conceit, Nelliyode demonstrated that they are capable of logical thoughts and introspection. He reinforced their relevance in the thematic continuity of each play. His deep and vast knowledge of Indian epics supplemented by poetic inclinations redrew the emotional and technical boundaries of the demonic characters.

His Dussasana in the Kurukshetra battlefield, giving visual interpretation of a highly charged slokam penned by Kodungalloor Kochunni Thampuran, is a classic example.

Be it a minor or major character, Nelliyode gives it a facelift that bears his stamp. Some aficionados have accused Nelliyode of protracted improvisations on stage, thus usurping the space and time of Nayakas and Prathinayakas. It is true that he is a different entity on the stage, blissfully unaware of the mundane world. For him Kathakali is a sacred means of self-expression.

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