Balivadham Koodiyattam: An enriching experience

TRIPUNITHURA:  Koodiyattom, the ancient Sankrit theatre, provides an enriching experience for the audience. And ‘Balivadham’ a koodiyattom performance at the Government Sanskrit College auditorium, entertained all who came to enjoy the unmatched grandeur of this age-old art form. It unveiled the infinite possibilities of acting, rhythm and vedic music. The show was jointly organised by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations, Thiruvananthapuram and International Centre for Koodiyattom, Tripunithura.Former Kalamandalam vice-chancellor K G Paulose narrated the story of Balivadham. The scenes describing the friendship between Sugreeva and Sree Rama with Hanuman as mediator and the mood of the forest were presented beautifully by the artists. The combination scene of Bali (Margi Madhu) and Thara(Indu G) unveiled the infinite possibilities of Pakarnnaattum (assuming the mannerisms of other characters in the story). Here Madhu narrated the courageous acts of Bali like the Palazhimadhanam and the victory of Ravana.  The artists gave a powerful performance emoting  a range of expressions. The rhythmic support provided by Kalamandalam Ratheeshdas, Kalamandalam Anoop, Kalamandalam Manikantan and Nepathya Jinesh enhanced the effect. The ‘Mushti Yudham’ between Sugreevan and Bali was also a treat as Nepathya Saneesh as Sugreevan matched Margi Madhu’s Bali, step for step.However, the creme de la creme of the whole act was undoubtedly the climax scene featuring the last moments of Bali. Koodiyattam veterans such as the late Guru Ammannur Madhava Chakyar and others were always keen to enact this scene because of its acting potential. Margi Madhu trained under the late Guru Ammannur Madhava Chakyar and the late Moozhikkulam Kochu Kuttan Chakyar, presented a touching performance. Nepathya Balakrishnan, Nepathya Rahul and Nepathya Vishnu Prasad gave life to characters such as Sree Ram, Lakshman and Hanuman respectively. Kalanilayam Rajan (edakka), Nepathya Anjana (Thalam) and Kalamandalam Satheeshan (Chutti)provided efficient support to make the show a grand success.  FAC