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In his hands

N. Radhakrishnan has devoted himself to documenting mudras from Vedic times to the traditional arts

PHOTO: SHANKER CHAKRAVARTY

HANDY ELOQUENCE N. Radhakrishnan demonstrating mudras

His 73 years sit lightly on his Kathakali trained shoulders. N. Radhakrishnan is passionate when he talks. The nice thing is, he doesn't have to make any noise. Because his hands could do all the talking for him. That is the fine art of hasta mudras or hand gestures in the theatre art of Kathakali, nurtured in Kerala and propagated for decades in Delhi by the International Centre for Kathakali, where in the early years Radhakrishnan was a teacher and later Chairman, Programmes. But there is more to his passion than the Kathakali mudras that number over 1000.

"Kathakali mudras come from Tantrik mudras, and they in turn come from Vedic mudras," he explains. "My main idea is that these mudras should be preserved as a heritage."Towards that end, he says, he has done extensive documentation of Kerala's theatre traditions for archival films. Besides Kathakali, these include Mohiniattam, Teyyam, Krishnattam, Mudiettu and Kalamezhuthu.

Bread versus vocation

"I have also documented Tantrik and Vedic mudras," he recounts. "I was a manager in a multinational. That was my bread, but Kathakali is my profession." But he took early retirement and for over 20 years has plunged into the business of documenting these arts with grants from the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts and the Sangeet Natak Akademi. The latter financed the filming of Krishnattam and Teyyam, though these are still awaiting post production. "I was scolded by my wife and children. But I told them, I came with nothing into this world. I will go back with nothing. But this work will live on after me," he says. The logic is irrefutable — at least as far as one can rely on the archive preserving capacity of the IGNCA.

Radhakrishnan, who says he spends at least six months living with the artistes of each form while making his films, has some rare footage of a Kathakali vesham (character type) not staged anymore even in Kerala. This is Ninam, or Soorpanakha in her disfigured state after being attacked by Lakshman in the Ramayana. The character's horrible appearance has contributed to its going out of vogue.

The veteran hopes Unesco takes up the mudra tradition as a heritage of humanity. It is not just an art form, he stresses, but a science of the body. The position of the fingers, hands and arms is set according to the sutras or nerve lines of the body, he explains. Changing the position not only changes the meaning but also the effect of the mudra on the condition of the body. In their way, mudras are a key to the treasure trove of wellness within, and this is what he wishes to share with humanity.

ANJANA RAJAN

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