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 Kochi, Sunday, January 30, 2005 |
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| Subtle technique | |
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Kalamandalam Sivan
Namboodiri, the first non-Chakyar to master Koodiyattam, talks to K.K. GOPALAKRISHNAN about his innings in the field. |
| Pioneer artiste: Kalamandalam Sivan Namboodiri. | |
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Kalamandalam Sivan Namboodiri, the renowned
Koodiyattam maestro, is the
first non-Chakyar to take
up this art form. After the grand old man of Koodiyattam, nonagenarian Ammannur Madhava Chakyar (who has retired from active
performance), Sivan is the foremost performer. Currently, the art form lies in the artistry of Sivan
and a handful of his contemporaries. Accidental "My venture in Koodiyattam was accidental. It happened thanks to Kathakali maestro Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair and my guru late Paimkulam Rama Chakyar", says Sivan Namboodiri looking back to the 1960s. A desire to avoid formal schooling as "both mathematics and the teacher were very tough" and to satisfy the inner call of be-coming a Kathakali actor landed him at the Kerala Kalamandalam in 1965, without his family's approval. "One man on the interview board stared at me and ordered me to walk around. I was very scared. After a while, he commented to the person sitting next to him: 'Chakyar, this boy would be ideal for Koodiyattam; you'd better take him.' That was the first time I heard of Koodiyattam. I started crying be-cause I wanted to be a Kathakali actor and play the role of Ravana... I thought that the unknown Koodiyattam would be better than the rod of the maths teacher, which I knew about," Sivan adds. When he joined the Kalamandalam he learnt that two men at the interview were the Kathakali maestro Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair and Paimkulam Rama Chakyar, who was the first to bring both Koodiyattam and Chakyarkoothu outside the temple precincts. Sivan's training was |
under Rama Chakyar. Sivan did not realise that he was creating history by being the
first non-Chakyar to learn Koodiyattam. He was also to become the first product of institutionalised training, as till 1965 Koodiyattam was taught only in a rigid gurukula
tradition. Vibrant portrayals Much later his portrayal of Ravana, during his four decades of performance, won him fans the world over. None in Koodiyattam excelled his characterisation of Ravana in stories like "Thoranaydham" and "Jatayuvad-ham". Equally vibrant was his performance as Purity of satwik abhinaya (genuine emotional quality and its aesthetical projection by the actor, including facial expression) is seen in his performance as Arjuna in "Subadradhananjayam "and as the saint in "Bhagavatjukeeyam". The transformed Saint possessing the soul of Vasanthasena, the lustful woman, is always a test for any art-ist. Sivan has undoubtedly proved his mettle in this complicated role; he is the only Koodiyattam actor to have portrayed this role the maxi-mum number of times since Paimkulam choreographed it in the late 1970s. Orthodox objections Initially, however, Sivan Namboodiri was subjected to insult and humiliation. There were instances when orthodox people sent him away from the scene of performance. His guru was also humiliated for daring to train him. But his artistry won them over eventually. Sivan says that this is his humble tribute to his master, who had to undergo many tribulations for teaching him the art and taking it to people at large. Even today he is not allowed to perform in the Koothambalams (the traditional theatre for Koodiyattam) in the temple precincts, mainly because the Chakyar community does not allow him to do so. "I do not want to comment on this," says Sivan Namboodiri who is |
"least interested
in controversies as my entrance in Koodiyattam itself was very controversial and I am
sick of it." His performance at the Cologne Festival ( "Subadradhananjayam", "Jatayuvadham" and "Thoranayudham"). In all Sivan played the hero. The innumerable curtain calls were testimony to the audience's response and "by the time it was dawn, I had almost collapsed amid the hundreds who assembled around me in the green-room, some with champagne", remembers Sivan Namboodiri. As a student, Sivan Namboodiri won the coveted gold medal for best Koodiyattam artist for three consecutive years from the prestigious Saratholsavam. Little wonder, Rukmini Devi Arundale hailed his "understanding exposition of the very subtle technique of abhinaya" after watching his performance at Kalakshetra in 1971. The first Mrinalini Sarabhai award for the most outstanding Indian artist and the State Sangeet Natak Akademi award are among the several laurels bestowed upon him. Sivan Namboodiri is now in his mid-fifties and will soon retire from the Kalamandalam. The fact that there is no other Koodiyattam artist of his calibre speaks volumes about his unambiguous artistry. ®  As
Arjuna in „Subadradhananjagam“.
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| see also: | http://koodiyattom.kerala-india.com http://www.namboothiri.com/articles/koothu.htm |
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