Sadanam Balakrishnan talks about adapting a Greek tale.
Kathakali is a dance form known for its gripping
narrative and music, with artists enacting episodes from the Ramayana
and Mahabharata during all-night performances at temples in Kerala. The
elaborate and traditional make-up and costume turn it into a colourful
spectacle.
In the recent past though there has been a
shift in the presentation format. Kathakali performers have begun to
adapt stories from other cultures to widen their reach. ‘Hela’, which
premiered at Kalakshetra recently, was a re-creation of Euripides play.
“This is not the first time this kind of attempt is being made. Way
back in the 1980s, my guru Keezhpadam Kumaran Nair started expanding the
repertoire and my learning with him was my training ground in creative
thinking,” says Sadanam.
Talking about why he chose
this Greek tale, the veteran artist says, “While reading this story I
found that it had a lot of similarities to the Ramayana. It speaks of
separation, the heroine's chastity, evil king, and finally the reunion
of the lead pair. Therefore, I thought, it would be ideal for
adaptation.”
Based on an English language
translation, he set out to translate the story, dialogue and poetry into
Manipravalam and wrote a script for a theatrical presentation. He roped
in a set of talented musicians to work on it. “ They suggested
appropriate ragas for the situations and together we worked on it.”
As
far as costume goes, Sadanam chose to maintain the Kathakali style with
minor changes like adding swastika symbols for Greek characters and
simpler headgear for the soldiers and attendants. The traditional pacha vesham was used for both good and evil souls.
As
for funds, he says, besides the grant received from the Department of
Culture, Kalakshetra Foundation came forward with additional support. On
the challenges of using Kalakshetra dancers who are not full-fledged
Kathakali artists, the director says, “I worked on their strengths and
choreographed the scenes maintaining the basic framework of the form.
The dancers worked hard to master the movements, and I must commend them
for their effort”.
“‘Hela’ has been an exciting
experience for me,” says Sadanam. Besides performing extensively as an
individual artist, he has lent a refreshing touch to the plays written
by him with innovative choreography and musical score. Shakespeare’s
‘Othello’, Corneille’s ‘Le Cid’, Euripides’s Greek tragedy, ‘The
Bacchae’ are some of his acclaimed works. Recipient of many awards,
Sadanam is a fine amalgam of a purist and futuristic artist.
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