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An expression of studied vigour

An expression of studied vigour

Author: K Surekha Published Date: Jun 28, 2009 3:33 PM Last Updated: May 15, 2012 11:08 PM

Chemancheri Kunhiraman Nair is the last master of the body centric and power packed Kalladikodan style of Kathakali.
The wrinkles apart, the brightness in Chemancheri Kunhiraman Nairs face symbolises the essence of his art, Katha­kali. The twinkle in his pair of eyes exemplifies the propensity of this feudal-­era dance-drama to thrive in a modern age. The guru has just turned 94. And it was around the period of his birth in a north Mala­bar village that the traditional Kerala ballet he later mastered had initiated a string of improvisations and reinventions that went on to catch the imagination of the world. Kunhiraman Nair still dons the grease and plays his favourite roles. The Kalladikodan style he belongs to has not many practitioners left; so the vigorous patterns he weaves on the stage have a certain uniqueness to them. Brisk are his steps and vibrant are his gestures. So, what keeps the nonagenarian hale and hearty? My art, says the artiste who heads the Cheliya Kathakali Vidyalayam founded in 1983 off Koyilandi in Kozhikode district. I have always stuck to a strict regimen ever since I began learning this classical art. Chance led him to artiste Govinda Menon who staged a drama at his native place and that was a turning point in his life. Keen to be an artiste, little Kunhiraman app­roached his folks, but they wouldnt pay heed to him. So, at age 15, he left home. Govinda Menon put him up at a Kathakali school in Meppayur not too far from his birthplace. After a years training, his debut performance as Panchali was a big hit. He then trained under Karamvalli Kurup Asan and Palakkad Karunakara Menon and graduated to don male roles in a range of categories like the virtuous pachcha (green), villainous chuvanna thaadi (red) and the rather comical kari (black). Thus there is an evident eclecticism Kunhiraman Nair has acquired despite the Kalladikodan flavour in his art the use of vast spaces and the thrust on the powerful martial art of Kalarippayattu. And that sensibility has prompted him not to check his pupils from exploring the techniques of both the central-Kerala Kalluvazhi school that stresses on restr­ained method acting and the downstate Kaplingad style known for its dramatics. Looking back, the master notes that female characters were not his forte. He enjoyed playing the monkey-god Hanuman in Lavanasuravadham and the sage Parasuraman in Sita Swayamvaram among others, but his favourite still remains the same: Krishna. His generally jovial face turns grim as he recollects a critical incident that happened on the stage decades ago. One night, his guru Karunakara Menon was playing Kuchela (the poverty-stricken Sudama) and Kunhiraman Nair as Krishna in the story-play Kuchelavri­ttham. Young Kunhiraman was so lost in his role of Krishna meeting his childhood friend that it left Menon spellbound. When Kunhiraman as Krishna embraced Kuchela, the dramatics on the stage unexpectedly encroached into their personal equations as the master and the pupil. Menon fainted, and had to be rushed to hospital, where he died after three days. There have been brighter sides too to his memories about playing the Krishna. Instances abound of the audience running to Kunhiraman Nair for blessings after the show ended. Blissful were those days when we travelled long distances on foot. Themes were given at the last minute and we had a whole night before us. It was both challenging and satisfying. Kunhiraman Nair, meanwhile, learnt the nuances of other dance forms too. At one time, when patronage for Kathakali dipped to its ebb, he popularised the dance-drama called Ashtapathiyattam that blended the theme
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An expression of studied vigour

of Jayadevas Gita Govinda with the aesthetics of the folk dances of the state. Elements from Mohiniyattam, Bharatanatyam and Kerala Natanam besides Kathakali gained prominence in his choreographic executions. His must be the first ballet troupe in North Malabar. With 58 members, episodes in the epics were staged at many places across the nation. In fact, Kunhiraman Nair has been promoting dance all through his life. He founded the Bharatiya Nrittakalalayam in Kannur 1945 and was instrumental in setting up the Pookad Kalalayam in Kozhikode. Indeed, only two years ago, he choreographed and staged Hamsa-Damayanti for students in schools across Kozhi­kode and himself played the role of the romantic Nalan. His contribution to dance won him the State Sangeetha Nataka Academy Award in 1979 and fellowship in 1989. The unassuming master swings from a range of bhavas as he tells his tales. His face twists in anger, then in bewilderment and changes to courage. Then it settles for the subtle expression of peace. Shantam, as they say. Thats the state Kunhiraman Nair is, after all, in.
Copyright 2012 The New Indian Express. All rights reserved.

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