Aparna Nangiar’s Nangiarkooth performance wows audience with masterful portrayal of Navarasas.
Among the Kathakali Clubs of Kerala, the Dr K N Pisharody Smaraka Kathakali Club of Irinjalakuda deserves special mention for its multifarious activities that are socially relevant too. Recently, as part of its golden jubilee celebrations, the Club felicitated eleven artists who had brought laurels to Irinjalakuda. Among them was Aparna Nangiar, who was awarded the prestigious Bismilla Khan Puraskaram by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, Delhi, for her contributions to Koodiyattam. The highlight of the felicitation program was the two-hour Nangiarkooth staged by Aparna.
Kamsa Vadham: Reviving ancient narratives
A scion of the Ammannur tradition, Aparna chose to present “Kamsa Vadham” excerpted from “Sree Krishna Charitam Nangiarkoothu,” which essentially serves as the nirvahana (pre-story recital) of the chedi (maid companion) of the heroine of Subhadra in the second Act of the play “Subhadradhanajjayam” authored by Kulasekhara. The leitmotif of nirvahana mainly revolves around the life-story of Sree Krishna, and “Kamsa Vadham” occurs as part of this. Though the Second Act has long gone out of vogue, only this part has survived, and that too in the form of Nangiarkooth.
Mathura King Kamsa came to know from Narada that Krishna, who lives in Ambadi, is destined to be his killer. He asks his men to bring Krishna and his brother Balarama to Mathura. On reaching Mathura, the brothers kill the elephant Kuvalayapida and pull out its tusks. The wrestlers who were deputed to kill them are also murdered. Interestingly, these acts of Krishna evoked mixed reactions among the spectators. Krishna then advances to Kamsa and kills him. This is the plot of the play.
A journey through emotion and expression
The major attraction of the performance is the delineation of Navarasas by the actor, as expressed by the different spectators upon watching these valorous acts of the brothers. One of the wrestlers comments: “Look at him; his body is as hard as diamond. But we can beat him into pulp and kill him”. He demonstrates his anger by rubbing his hands when roudra is evoked by the actor. Some others, who stare at Krishna, wonder how this cowherd is confident to encounter the well-built wrestlers. Here the rasa is adbuta.
Sringara comes in when some women gazing at Krishna say, “Who can be this man with such a beautiful body? Soon they take him for Kamadeva himself. But realize that Siva had burnt him to ashes using his third eye. “But Kamadeva is not dead; here he stands as Krishna”.
“Krishna is only a man like us; I don’t see any cause for wonder”, is the comment of the Gopas. This gives ample opportunity to express hasya. The wicked kings who had assembled turn arrogant thinking that to fight with such an insignificant boy is shameful to them. This gives enough scope to display vira.
Vasudeva and Devaki were waiting for the arrival of Krishna. As for Devaki, she was seeing Krishna for the first time after delivery. The motherly love for her child makes her happy but at the same time also sorrowful. She prays to God that no danger should happen to her child. Karuna comes in here.
From the seventh floor, Kamsa looks down to see Krishna has killed his wrestlers. He feels Krishna is not a mere Gopala but his anthaka (Yama) who takes away the life of all. “No doubt, he is here to take away my life too”. Bhayanaka is the rasa that is acted out. Some others have only utter contempt, bibhatsa for Krishna who with his soft body determines to fight the wrestlers. Santa rasa is evoked by a group of Yogis who feel that owing to their virtuous actions, they have been granted this unique opportunity to get the fulfillment of their life. They withdraw their minds from the external world and go into meditation. Santa appears here.
In the course of events, Krishna sees Kamsa seated in his throne on the seventh floor. He runs jumping the steps. Like a lion rushing to a frightened deer, he encounters Kamsa and kills him.
Aparna’s histrionics were at their best as she could impressively demonstrate all the incidents with subtleties. Among the rasas, Sringara was more appealing. Roudra was noteworthy during Kamsa’s murder.
Accompaniments included Kalamandalam Rajeev and Kalamandalam Narayanan Nambiar on the mizhavu, Kalanilayam Unnikrishnan on the edakka, and Saritha Krishnakumar, talam. In the absence of a microphone, her rendition of the slokas was not audible.
A PhD holder in Sanskrit, she is an assistant professor at Sree Sankara College, Kalady. She is the daughter of Ammannur Kuttan Chakyar, the present head of the Ammannur family.
Photo: T N Krishnadas.
