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HOPE for Chakyarkoothu
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With very little exposure internationally, the ancient art form Chakyarkoothu is virtually on the brink of extinction says, K. PRADEEP.
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Pic. by Mahesh Harilal
FOR MARGI Madhu these five days were special. It was not because he was getting a rare chance to present Purusharthakoothu but more importantly because it was being documented. "I do have some old worn out recordings of Purusharthakoothu presented by my uncle (Ammannur Madhava Chakyar) and my father (Moozhikulam Kochukuttan Chakyar). They are not good enough to be re-recorded; faint reproductions that have been invaluable guide points for me. But despite all this there are certain experiences that I have gone through, listening to these great masters, which I have not been able to reproduce on stage," says Madhu, whose five-day exposition of Purusharthakoothu at the Chavara Cultural Centre was well received.
With very little exposure internationally, the real market for such ancient art forms, Chakyarkoothu is virtually on the brink of extinction. Today apart from Madhu the only other practitioner of this art form is Kuttan Chakyar. This makes these artistes so special and the documentation relevant.
Moozhikulam Sala, an organisation devoted to the care of mankind and its arts, who documented the event and plan to market it in a 10-CD set, hope that this venture will be a success, inspiring them to other similar projects. "This will be a complete, comprehensive presentation. We will have an introduction by K. G. Poulose and comments from greats like Ammannur Madhava Chakyar and Moozhikulam Kochukuttan Chakyar. We will make no compromise on the quality of the product," states T.R.Premkumar, the spirit behind Moozhikulam Sala.
Choosing Purusharthakoothu was deliberate. This is a scathing satire on contemporary life, especially the breakdown of human values. It focuses on man's greed for material well-being, snobbery and stooping to earn royal patronage. The sought after values are merriment, cheating, gluttony and striving for royal benevolence. These values gain precedence over `dharma,' `ardha,' `kama' and `moksha,' the four time-honoured values.
Madhu's exposition, with subtle references to the present day society, turned a mirror to the vain world and its people.
"In Purusharthakoothu there are around 250 `slokas' in all. Of this about 125 of them fall in the part called `ashanam.' Here we presented this part in two days, taking into account the difficulties of the city folks if the event is stretched beyond a certain time in the evening. Usually, and perhaps the best time to stage Chakyarkoothu is at night, after everyone has finished dinner. Though the response of the audience here on all days was encouraging, I missed the magic of interactive theatre, which is what Chakyarkoothu is all about. The audience seated on chairs somehow made the whole affair a bit too stiff," says Madhu.
For many who strayed into the venue on these days, maybe out of curiosity, must have definitely got a feel of this unique, traditional theatre. And surely most of them would look out for more.
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