Twenty years after her last recital, 68-year-old Hymavathi Raveendran will apply chutti (facial make-up of Kathakali) to play Lord Krishna of Kuchelavritham Kathakali on January 7.
“Happiness!” says Hymavathi when asked about how she feels about returning to the stage. “There is nervousness as the years have gone by. I hope we are able to live up to expectations but the dominant feeling is of excitement.”
It is a special occasion for Hymavathi, Baby Nair, K Kunhambu Nair, Karthiyani Muniyoor, Ramakrishna Nambiar and Raghunath Kanuthur, all senior citizens who began learning Kathakali in 1964 thanks to an initiative of Cheviri Gopalan Nair (CG Nair), an avid follower of the art form, to bring Kathakali to his village.
“In those days, or for that matter even now, Kathakali was and is not all that popular in Kasaragod. My father, CG Nair, used to go to places where Kathakali was staged to watch recitals,” recalls Hymavathi.
In the Malayalam month of Karkidakam (June-July), Gopalan Nair used to go for the customary massage with medicinal oils. The masseur used to stay in their house at Bethupara, in Konadukkam, a small village in Kasaragod. “Many of the masseurs used to be Kathakali artistes and that is when our house used to come alive with Kathakali plays in the evenings. Once they left, my father would again have to travel to watch performances,” recalls Hymavathi.
That is when he thought of getting his only daughter trained in Kathakali. “As far as I know, it was a time when women were never seen on the Kathakali stage. All female roles were played by men. That practice did not dishearten my father,” says Hymavathi.
He invited Govinda Panikkar Asan, who used to come to their house, Malyiekkal, for chavatti thadaval (massaging with feet) to become Hymavathi’s guru at the age of 11. She must have been the first woman to become a student of Kathakali in that region. He also requested neighbours to send their children to learn Kathakali.
“It was unheard of in those times. I learned Kathakali along with Karthiyani Muniyoor, a cousin, and some of the boys near our house,” recounts Hymvathi.
Motivated by their performances, a few children began learning Kathakali at Kundoochi, another village in the neighbourhood. Ramakrishnan and Raghunath are from that group.
Sreejith recalls that his mother had last performed Kuchelavritham 20 years ago, a few weeks before CG Nair’s demise. In the meantime, Sreejith shifted from Mumbai to Tripunithura, where Kathakali performances are frequently held. In fact, it is the home of the first all-women Vanitha Kathakali Sangham.
“Amma is still a keen fan of Kathakali and never misses a recital if she can help it. So, when she came to Tripunithura, she was able to watch a few programmes,” says Sreejith.
Did she meet the artistes of the Vanitha Sangham?
“Yes, I did. But I did not tell them I am a performer too,” she laughs.
Seeing her interest in Kathakali, Sreejith motivated his mother to go on stage again. Hymavathi agreed but she wanted to do it in the company of the artistes she had learnt Kathakali with. However, two of them had passed away, physical ailments prevented some of them.
Nevertheless, Sreejith persevered and managed to get six of the veterans together for this memorable occasion.
Joining the seniors are Savitha Kodoth, Sauramya Saiju and Anjal Vipin who will have their arangetram. “Three of them are learning Kathakali and will be performing for the first time,” says Sreejith.
The artistes will perform excerpts from Kuchelavritham, Kalyanasaugandhikam, Lavanasuravadham and Duryodhanavadham at ASAP community Skill Park Auditorium, Vidhyanagar, Kasaragod, at 6.30 pm.
