News & Notes
Kathakali Festival at Bharata Kalanjali

Kathakali
Festival at Bharata Kalanjali
By Shobanaa Bhalchandra
Following the brief kelikottu, naatyacharya V.P. Dhananjayan
extended a warm welcome to the distinguished guests. The guest of honour for
the evening was A.V. Anoop, the Managing Director of AVP Group of Companies,
and among the dignitaries present was Sadanam Balakrishnan, a senior Kathakali
guru. During the event, Sadanam Harikumar was bestowed with the title of Kala
Bhaskara, with A.V. Anoop presiding over the honours.
The highlight of the
evening was the performance of Ekalavya, a rendition of the mythological
tale from the Mahabharata, showcasing
the theme of guru bhakti, presented by Sadanam Kathakali Academy from Palakkad.
Premiered on 2 March 2024, at Bharata Kalanjali, the production transported the
audience back to the days of the Mahabharata,
providing a visual feast.
The production
commenced with a traditional ‘thira sheela’ entrance, portraying guru Drona
training his protégé Arjuna in archery. Kalamandalam Neeraj skillfully depicted
Ekalavya's hesitant entry with precise body language. Despite Kathakali's
reputation for angika abhinaya, Sadanam Mohanan as Arjuna and Neeraj as
Ekalayva stood out in effectively conveying the characters. Mohanan's Arjuna
displayed arrogance towards Ekalavya, labeling him as unfit to learn an art
meant for higher classes.
Ekalavya, in an
emotional scene, crafted an idol of Drona from mud, offering it as guru
dakshina, demonstrating his guru bhakti. The play unfolded to depict Ekalavya
silencing a dog with his arrows, visible only through sound. Arjuna, witnessing
this, rushed to his guru suspecting Drona's secret training of an unknown
person. The confrontation between Drona, Arjuna, and Ekalavya, portrayed by
Kottakkal Nandakumar, Sadanam Mohanan, and Kalamandalam Neeraj, respectively,
showcased conflicting emotions and pride.
The climax featured
Ekalavya challenging Krishna, portrayed by Kalamandalam Praveen, in a duel.
Despite Krishna's attempts to dissuade him, Ekalavya persisted and ultimately
met his demise at the hands of Krishna, who looked on with sympathy. The
Bharata Kalanjali stage brought the Mahabharata
to life, captivating the audience with a mesmerising performance that
transcended the length of the play.
The following day,
Sadanam Harikumar conducted a workshop on angika abhinaya, providing valuable
insights to young professionals. Bharata Kalanjali's mission to make art
accessible to the younger generation was evident in their vision to bring it to
the Teach Auditorium in Chennai.
(The author is a senior performer, teacher and educator. She is the artistic director of Tharanginee. As an empanelled artist of ICCR, Shobanaa has performed for various prestigious international forums. She is now the creative/executive director of Bharata Kalanjali, Chennai)
Photos courtesy: Bharata Kalanjali & Mohan Das Vadakara