# Phillip B.Zarrilli - Kathakali **kathakali** **dance-drama** *Kathakali,* the distinctive dance-drama of Kerala in south-west India, is comprehensively presented and illuminated in this unique book. During these performances heroes, heroines, gods, and demons tell their stories from traditional Indian epics. The four *kathakali* plays included in this anthology, translated from actual performances into English, are: - *The Flower of Good Fortune* - *The Killing of Kirmira* - *The Progeny of Krishna* - *King Rugmamgada’s Law.* One of the few books published on this genre, and based on extensive first-hand research, the book: - explores *kathakali’s* reception as it reaches new audiences both in India and the west - includes two case studies of controversial *kathakali* experiments - explores the implications for *kathakali* of Kerala politics. Each play has an introduction and detailed commentary, and is illustrated by stunning photographs taken during performances. A comprehensive introduction to *kathakali* stage conventions, make-up, mu-sic, acting, and training is also provided, making this an ideal volume for both the specialist and the non-specialist reader. Phillip B.Zarrilli is Professor of Theatre and Performance Studies at the University of Surrey. He is the author of *The Kathakali Complex* (1984) and the editor of *Acting (Re)Considered* (Routledge 1995). With Translations by V.R.PRABODHACHANDRAN NAGAR, M.P.SANKARAN NAMBOODIRI AND PHILLIP B.ZARRILLI  London and New York First published 2000 by Routledge 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001 *Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group* This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2005. “To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.” © 2000 Phillip B Zarrilli The right of Phillip B Zarrilli to be identified as the Author of this Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 Designed by Chantel Latchford All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. *British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data* A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library *Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data* Zarrilli, Phillip B., 1947– Kathakali dance-drama: where gods and demons come to play/ Phillip B.Zarrilli. 1. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. 1\. Kathakali. 2. Kathakali plays. I. Title.
PN2884.5.K36Z38 | 1999 |
792’.0954’83–dc21 | 99–26482 |
CIP |
*List of illustrations* | ix | |
*Preface* xi | ||
*Acknowledgments* | xv | |
1 | An ‘Ocean of Possibilities’ 1 |
2 | A Social History of *Kathakali* Patronage, Connoisseurship, and Aesthetics 17 |
3 | *Kathakali* Texts in Performance 39 |
5 | *The Flower of Good Fortune (Kalyanasaugandhikam)* Kottayam Tampuran 101 | |
Introduction | 101 | |
Commentary | 113 | |
6 | *The Killing of Kirmira (Kirmiravadham)* Kottayam Tampuran 118 | |
Introduction | 118 | |
Commentary | 130 |
7 | *The Progeny of Krishna (Santanagopalam)* Mandavappalli Ittiraricha Menon 135 | |
Introduction | 135 | |
Commentary | 151 | |
8 | *King Rugmamgada’s Law (Rugmamgada caritam)* Mandavappalli Ittiraricha Menon 159 | |
Introduction | 159 | |
Commentary | 169 |
*Notes* | 212 | |
*Bibliography and References Cited* | 231 | |
*Glossary and Table of Transliteration* | 242 | |
*Index* | 253 |
0.1 | Location of Kerala within India | xiii | ||||
2.1 | The Kerala caste hierarchy | 21 | ||||
3.1 | Schematic diagram of typical *kathakali* structure | 42 | ||||
3.2 | Performance of dialogue *(padam),* Chart 1 | 46 | ||||
3.3 | Performance of dialogue *(padam),* Chart 2 | 48 | ||||
3.4 | Summary: performance of a line from *Prahladacaritam* 49 | |||||
3.5 | Traditional outdoor performance | 50 | ||||
3.6 | Theater plan of the Kuttampalam Theater | 51 | ||||
3.7 | Traditional all-night structure of a performance | 52 | ||||
3.8 | *Kathakali* drums 58 | |||||
3.9 | *Kathakali’s* rhythmic patterns | 60 | ||||
3.10 | Cycles of repetition and elaboration in *kathakali* performance 64 | |||||
4.1 | The *kathakali* actor’s process: an overview | 67 | ||||
4.2 | The *kathakali* actor’s process: synthesizing the ‘external’ and the ‘internal’ 69 | |||||
4.3 | *Kathakali* training at the Kerala Kalamandalam | 71 | ||||
4.4 | Eye exercises 72 | |||||
4.5 | Kerala Kalamandalam syllabus | 81 | ||||
4.6 | *Bhava* in performance | 85 | ||||
4.7 | Filling out the form | 90 |
2.1 | A *Kathakali* performance photograph from early twentieth century 23 | ||||||||
3.1 | A make-up specialist applies rice-paste 57 | ||||||||
4.1 | One of the Southern-style *kathakali* jumps | 71 | |||||||
4.2 | The twenty-four root hand-gestures | 74 | |||||||
4.3 | The nine basic facial expressions, plus one | 77 | |||||||
4.4 | *Colliyattam* of *The Killing of Lavanasura:* Lava and Kusa | 80 | |||||||
4.5 | *Colliyattam* of *The Killing of Lavanasura:* Hanuman | 82 | |||||||
5.1 | Bhima and Panchali embrace | 105 | |||||||
5.2 | Ramankutty Nayar Asan in the role of Hanuman | 107 | |||||||
5.3 | Hanuman exhibits his divine form for Bhima | 112 | |||||||
6.1 | Simhika’s curtain look | 120 | |||||||
6.2 | Simhika entices Panchali to go to the Durga temple | 123 | |||||||
6.3 | Simhika reveals her ‘true’ form | 124 | |||||||
6.4 | Sahadeva intercepts Simhika | 126 | |||||||
6.5 | Simhika howls in pain through the audience | 128 | |||||||
7.1 | The Brahmin pours out his tale of woe at Krishna’s court | 139 | |||||||
7.2 | The Brahmin’s wife helped by the village Midwife | 145 | |||||||
7.3 | Brahmin dances with joy at the return of his seventh son | 149 | |||||||
8.1 | Rugmamgada in a state of disbelief | 166 | |||||||
8.2 | Rugmamgada about to cut off Dharmamgada’s head | 167 | |||||||
8.3 | Rugmamgada enters a transformative state of ‘fury’ | 168 | |||||||
9.1 | *Kathakali King Lear* 185 | ||||||||
9.2 | Mad Tom discovered by Lear and the Fool | 186 | |||||||
9.3 | Dress rehearsal: Lear revealed to be like Mad Tom | 190 | |||||||
9.4 | The trial scene in *Lear* | 191 | |||||||
9.5 | Lear: ‘She’s gone forever.’ 193 |
*Kathakali* dance-drama is | their fingers. Others may |
like a vast and deep | come with a small vessel, |
ocean. Some may come | and be able to drink that: |
to a performance with | And still others may |
their hands cupped and | come with a huge cook- |
only be able to take away | ing pot and take away so |
what doesn’t slip through | much more! |
*Bhava* | *Corresponding rasa* | Basic state | |
*1* | *rati bhava* | *srn gara rasa* | the erotic, love or |
pleasure | |||
*2* | *hasa bhava* | *hasya rasa* | the comic, mirthful, or |
derision | |||
*3* | *soka bhava* | *karuna rasa* | pathos, sadness |
*4* | *krodha bhava* | *raudra rasa* | fury, anger, wrath |
5 | *utsaha bhava* | *vira rasa* | the heroic, vigorous |
6 | *bhaya bhava* | *bhayanaka rasa* | fear, the terrible |
7 | *jugupsa bhava* | *bhayanaka rasa* | fear, the terrible |
8 | *vismaya bhava* | *adbhuta rasa* | wondrous, marvellous |
9 | *sama bhava* | *santa rasa* | peace, at-onement |
10 | lajja (one of three special female expressions) shyness |
*pallavi:* | Stop, ‘man,’ stop! | SAHADEVA: | |
*Eta, eta, eta,* ‘man’!a \[T\] | *caranam:* | ||
Women who act indecently \[K\] deserve to be killed | |||
SAHADEVA: | like Rama’s example.b | ||
*caranam:* | *pallavi:* Stop, demoness… \[T\] | ||
Since my reputed wife, \[K\] | SIMHIKA: | ||
was so skillfully abducted by you, | |||
*caranam:* | |||
I will kill you. | |||
O you uncontrolled, \[K\] | |||
*pallavi:* | Stop, demoness… \[T\] | ill-tempered, despicable mortal! I have done this | |
for my own satisfaction | |||
SIMHIKA: | to retaliate for the killing of my husband. | ||
*caranam:* | *pallavi:* Stop, man… \[T\] | ||
O petty enemy! \[K\] | |||
Proud one! Leader of fools! | SAHADEVA: | ||
Can you even stand before me? | *caranam:* | ||
Jumping like Khalgi,c \[K\] | |||
*pallavi:* | Stop, man… \[T\] | I will swiftly cut off both your hard breasts!16 |
Imperialism | (‘Red-beard’ representing |
Monstrosity) | |
People | (Two females representing |
Virtue) | |
Scientists | (Two sages representing Wis- |
dom) | |
Devils | (Attendants to the Demon |
…representing docile follow- | |
ers of Imperialism).1 |
**Appendix 211** | ||
7 *Rajasuyam* 5/14/93 (two scenes only) | OTHER GENRES | |
Location: Killimangalam, Kerala | ||
Featuring: Nelliyode Vasudevan | *Mohiniattam* and *Ottanthullal* 4/28/93 | |
Namboodiripad as Jarasandha | Kalamandalam Artists sponsored by David | |
8 *Bakavadham* (Bhima/Baka scene only) | Bolland, filmed at Old Kalamandalam | |
Location: Killimangalam, Kerala | Mohiniattam: | |
Featuring: Nelliyode Vasudevan | Featuring: Leelaama and Hymavathi | |
Namboodiripad as Baka | Ottanthullul: | |
Kottakkal Unnikrishnan as Bhima | Featuring: Geethanandan | |
9 *Purappatu* and *Melappadam* 5/16/93 | a. *Kalyanasaughandhikam* (selections) | |
Location: Killimangalam, Kerala | b. *Kiratam* (selections) | |
Featuring: Gopalakrishnan and | *Trissur Puram* 5/1/93 | |
Balasubramanian dancing | Location: Trissur City | |
Vocalists: Gangadharan, Madambi | *Teyyam* 5/1/93 | |
*Centa:* Unnikrishnan, Kottakkal Sasi | Location: Vellore, Payyannur, Kannur | |
*Maddalam:* Narayanan Nambisan, Ravi | District | |
10 *Nalacaritam Day 2* 5/16/93 | Includes: | |
Location: Killimangalam, Kerala | 1 | Kelam Kulanghara Kandabhagavati |
Featuring: Gopi Asan as Nala | Totam | |
Kottakkal Sivaraman as Damayanti | 2 | Periyat Chamundi Totam |
Nelliyode Vasudevan Namboodiripad as Kali | 3 | Vishnumurti Totam |
11 *Balivadham* 5/16/93 | 4 Periyatt Kandar (Scholar) Totam | |
Location: Killimangalam, Kerala | 5 | Bhagavati Teyyam |
12 *Balivijayan* 5/17/93 | 6 | Make-up and Teyyam—Chamundi |
Location: Killimangalam, Kerala | *Mohiniattam* 5/16/93 | |
Featuring: Raman Kutty Nayar as Ravana | Location: Killimangalam, Kerala | |
M.P.Sankaran Namboodiri as Narada | Featuring: Kalamandalam Sathyabhama | |
Kavungal Divakaran as Bali | Vocalist: Ambika | |
13 *Santanagopalam* 6/19/93 | Mridangam: Sivadas | |
Location: Tirtapatta Mandapam, East Fort, | Nattuvangam: Kalamandalam Leelamma | |
Thiruvananthapuram | *Ottanthullal: Santanagopalam* 5/16/93 | |
14 *Kirmiravadham* 7/17/93 | Location: Killimangalam, Kerala | |
Location: Tirtapatta Mandapam, East Fort, | Featuring: Kalamandalam Devaki | |
Thiruvananthapuram | Vocalists: Guru Devakaran Nair Sarojini | |
15 *Sitaswayamvaram* 11/28/93 | Mridangam: Nelluvaya Nambisan | |
Location: Killimangalam, Kerala | *Kerala Shadow Puppet Performance* 27 August | |
Featuring: Manojkumar as Viswamithra | 1993 | |
Ettumanoor Kannan as Rama | Location: Killimangalam, Kerala | |
M.P.Sankaran Namboodiri as Parasurama | Featuring: | |
16 *Prahladacaritam* | Vocalist: Vazhanath Balan Nair | |
Location: Killimangalam, Kerala | Organizer: P.Unnikkrishnan | |
Featuring: Vijayan as Hiranyakasipu | Performer: Chandran | |
Pradeepkumar as Prahlada | Drummer: Gunasekharan | |
Vadu Pisharody as Narasimha |