It was a celebration of the return of 5 forgotten girls — Ahalya, Tara, Sita, Mandodari and Draupadi — who had disappeared from the Koodiyattam stage over time. Koodiyattam is probably the one theatre custom the place feminine roles have at all times been carried out solely by females. The restriction on depicting panchakanyakas in theatrical performances sprang from an oral edict handed down via generations , which finally got here to be accepted as frequent perception. And by the start of the twentieth century, Koodiyattam had been lowered to a temple ritual, having misplaced its grandeur as a performing artwork.
The five-day Panchakanya competition, held not too long ago at Thrissur, that featured performances, paper displays, seminars and discussions on the 5 epic heroines, additionally marked a milestone for Usha Nangiar, who led the trouble to deliver again the 5 epic heroines and different feminine characters on to the Koodiyattam stage. However its primary end result was to throw the highlight on the expansion of Nangiarkoothu as a standalone artform.
Restricted roles for girls
Until 40 years in the past there have been just a few roles for girls resembling Subhadra in ‘Dhananjayam’ and Lalita in ‘Soorpanakhankam’. It was apparent that they had been retained solely due to their significance in carrying the story ahead. However they weren’t given scenes with any nice performing potential. The 2 primary paperwork of the Koodiyattam performs — kramadeepika or stage guide, and attaprakaram or actor’s guide — offered meaty roles for girls full with purappad or entry and nirvahanam or retrospective, that are two of the three key elements of a Koodiyattam efficiency. It may be assumed that they had been sidelined for numerous causes together with the prevailing social circumstances.
Usha, who began studying Koodiyattam in 1980 on the age of 11, saidl that when she started performing Nangiarkoothu and Koodiyattam, she felt annoyed on the bit roles that existed. Meaty roles and vibrant costumes had been reserved for males. Usha’s shut perusal of Koodiyattam texts led her to imagine there was by no means an outright ban on girls; it was merely talked about that they weren’t often introduced on stage. Usha’s persuasive arguments satisfied her guru, Ammannur Madhava Chakyar to alter his stance. Usha continued in his kalari for 17 years. He even educated her in male roles, prophetically telling her it would come in useful some day.
Usha’s portrayal of Mandodari
It was Mandodari that Usha depicted on stage first in 2003. Her analysis confirmed the position was being carried out years in the past however the shlokas or actor’s guide weren’t obtainable. Usha had Sanskrit shlokas composed and he or she wrote a brand new attaprakaram for Mandodari lasting 5 days. Then in a span of over ten years, Usha introduced ‘Draupadi’ in 2005, ‘Sita’ in 2007 and ‘Ahalya’ in 2013. Usha’s model of Tara is the one one she hasn’t carried out herself. It was staged for the primary time on the present competition.
What we noticed on the Panchakanya competition was not merely a retelling of the epic tales, however imaginatively interpolating concepts from modern literature that replicate on at the moment’s society and ladies’s standing. The competition began with ‘Ahalyamoksham’ or Salvation of Ahalya. Usha’s rereading of the story of Ahalya, who was become a stone for infidelity by her husband Sage Gautama and liberated years later by the contact of Rama’s toes, was thought-provoking. It was referred to as ‘Ahalya Vimochanam’, the place vimochanam in Malayalam implies a shackled previous and the promise of freedom, in keeping with Devi Varma who launched the character.
The efficiency begins with Ahalya’s life within the hermitage, with a fawn as her solely good friend, and her solely job being to prepare dinner and accumulate prayer supplies for her husband. In her backyard, Ahalya watches the bees as they suck honey from flowers, and in a flash it reminds her of a life that might have been. Her trepidation as Gautama enters the hermitage, his indifference as she lovingly followers him, all strongly trace on the frustration of the attractive Ahalya trapped in a wedding to an previous celibate sage. However the spotlight was the climax. After Rama liberates her she sits alone within the ashram because the curtain drops. Whether or not she goes again to her husband as epic texts say stays an open query.
In her portrayal of Sita in 2007, Usha had relied on ‘Uttaramacharitam’. However what she introduced on the competition was primarily based on the 100-year-old well-known poem ‘Chinthavishtayaya Sita’ (Pensive Sita) by Kumaran Asaan the place Sita poses a number of uncomfortable inquiries to Rama.
In a touchingly good scene Sita takes depart of her ashram and reluctantly accompanies Valmiki to Ayodhya. She bids farewell to each creature, plant, flower, the solar and the celebrities. Sita’s stoicism, her decision that she gained’t brook any extra insults, is writ massive on her face. After which she enters Ayodhya, surveys the opulent palace, acknowledges the presence of the eminent individuals, appears to be like at her sons sitting on both facet of the throne, appears to be like amused at her golden statue, takes one final have a look at Rama and withdraws to Mom Earth.
Properly-choreographed piece
On the final day of the competition the packed corridor watched Usha carry out Draupadi for nicely over two hours. It was extra of a straight narrative embellished by good choreography. The sport of cube got here alive with an harmless wanting Yudhishtira taking up the devious Sakuni whereas Duryodhana lorded over everybody. Each transfer, each mannerism, each look, and even the way in which by which Yudhishtira and Sakuni rolled the cube, all mirrored their characters.
Dramatic efficiency
Mandodari was carried out by Kapila Venu whereas Aparna Nangyar introduced Tara. Mandodari’s story was primarily based on Usha’s attaprakaram for Mandodari’s nirvahanam in Asokavanikankam. The ability-packed section of Ravana’s penance to Shiva surrounded on all sides by hearth and his chopping off his heads one after the other until Shiva appeared was energetically introduced by Kapila. Aparna too did full justice to her position, particularly the place she acts out the story of Narasimha. However someway it was extra about Bali than Tara. Particulars of Tara’s character and life had been skimpy.
Usha’s efforts to deliver again the panchakanyakas and different characters have had a ripple impact. Nangiarkoothu has been enriched by new tales, new characters from the epics, modern tales, and the efforts of many different artistes. As each speaker on the convention pointed to the burgeoning repertoire of Nangiarkoothu, it was evident that the offspring of Koodiyattam has began to outshine its dad or mum in recognition.