This ancient form of storytelling will force you to immerse yourself in the character and its emotions

Kapila Venu, an artiste from Kerala brings Kutiyattam, and more specifically, Nangiar Koothu to town. This is an unbroken 2000-year-old form of theatre and solo storytelling through abhinaya, where Sanskrit verses written by famous playwrights like Kalidasa, Sakthibhadran, Bhasa are presented. What is interesting about this form is that even in the ancient times, women played a pivotal role in performing.

In this performance in collaboration with Aalaap Concepts and Kanakavalli, Kapila is going to perform an excerpt from Adi Shankaracharya’s Soundarya Lahari, an elaboration of the first sloka which talks about the togetherness of Shiva and Shakti. “The performance elaborates the story of the marriage of Shiva and Shakti, both as a narrative and metaphorically,” she says. Metaphorical representation talks about the union of masculine and feminine energies in one body.

Another interesting aspect of this art is that the music is never composed. It is improvised as and how the performance progresses. The accompanying instrument is usually the Miraval, a copper pot like drum, which adds another layer of intricacy to the performance. In this show, the accompanying instrument is going to be the kutti, a smaller version of the Miraval. Along with the kutti, the artiste is also going to chant the sloka while performing.

Being a form heavy on abhinaya and emotions, Kapila says, “this method of acting is very different from the western techniques of acting. This integrates all the five senses, the body, the mind and the breath.” This method of acting, called the Navarasa Sadhana, is almost a “spiritual practice”. To get into the shoes of the character and get emotionally ready for a performance, they have a set of rituals pre and post show. The most characteristic of them is putting on the head gear. “Putting on the head gear and tying a red ribbon on the forehead symbolise the onset of our character, and cutting off all ties from our daily life. When you leave the green room, you are not obliged to respect anybody even if they are hierarchically above you. Post the show, the removing of our head gear symbolises cutting off from the character. This enables you to not carry a residual part of the character or the performance in your daily life,” she says.

The uniqueness of Kudiyattam lies in the intensity of the emotionality, the Abhinaya. This intensity of emotions also requires a zenith point of vulnerability which can often get transcendental. When we asked how she deals with this level of vulnerability, she says, “we have always been encouraged to have a kind of practice, a sadhana. Most often it's a spiritual sadhana, not confined to any religion, but to have some kind of spiritual support in order to strike a balance.” She also says that as actors, when they choose to pursue this art form, they agree to make themselves more vulnerable as people.

Although the verses are in Sanskrit, the art was developed through abhinaya in a way which is understandable to everyone. She urges the audience to watch this artform in a very sensitised and empathetic way, and with an open mind. As the movements are very intricate and nuances, Kapila says, “It's not something you can just watch passively and be entertained. This form expects the audience also to be more invested, have a kind of a meditative energy while they're watching.”

Free entry. September 21, 6.30 pm. At Kanakavalli, Jubilee hills.

Story by Ananya Mehta