Aniyara Shilpi, Nambyarathu Appunitharakan, a biography on Kathakali costumer Appunni Tharakan by Vini Devayani, launches today at Kerala Kalamandalam.
Appunni Tharakan – popularly known as “Appunniyettan” among art lovers, especially in the Kathakali fraternity, is considered a living legend in the Kathakali costume society. Tharakan, who is in his mid-nineties, has served almost seven decades in the backstage area of Kathakali. He was initiated into this field of the Kathakali greenroom at the age of fourteen by his brother-in-law, named Pambath Sankaran, who was working as a costume assistant in Olappamanna Mana Kathakali Yogam.
Young Appunni’s first assignment in the greenroom was at the famous Vazhenkada Narasimhamoorthi Temple at Vazhenkada. At that time, there was no transport system to shift the costumes from Olappamanna Mana to the Kathakali venue. Tharakan, along with some other men, carried the heavy wooden costume boxes on their heads and walked. This system continued for several years. When his senior partners bid farewell to the profession due to bad health and age, Appunni Tharakan became the senior-most costumer.
Serving generations of artists
The span of Appunni Tharakan’s service in the Kathakali greenroom extends from Guru Kunju Kurup to young artists aged twenty-five now. His mastery over the craft of ‘Uduthukettal’ (the bottom area costume arrangement) was renowned due to his dedication and commitment. However, many Kathakali artists observed other qualities in his behaviour that made him unique. His overall management in the green room, especially in the hospitality of incoming artists, their food, refreshments, etc., was punctual and systematic.
Appunni Tharakan believes all these things are his duties. “We are the people who reach the venue first, and we go home only last. Because we have to pack and spread all the make-up items and costume materials for the artists. We also must repack and put all of them in their previous places,” he said. Like the Kathakali artists, costume people never get time to sleep at night during the festival season. But we never tried to compromise on our responsibilities, he added.
He had numerous opportunities to work with maestros and legendary performers like Vazhenkada Kunju Nair, Kalamandalam Ramankutti Nair, Keezhpadam Kumaran Nair, and Kalamandalam Gopi. Tharakan became familiar with the specialities and preferences of these artistes while doing the make-up. “Except for Padmanabhan Nair Asan, all the other senior artists had some kind of specialities and ethics in the green room.
Padmanabhan Nair Asan was always silent. Kunju Nair Asan and Ramankutti Nair Asan were strict and well-disciplined. Kumaran Nair never complained about anything. Gopi Asan was very particular about all his costume materials and never made any bad comments on my work,” Tharakan recollected his colourful memories. He also had fond memories of Madavoor Vasudevan Nair and Kottakkal Sivaraman.
Mastering the green room
The speciality of Appunni Tharakan as a costume assistant in Kathakali is his skill of observation and pleasant nature in the green room. He was always available for all the work there in the ‘Aniyara’ (Kathakali greenroom). “We are the people who transform them from human beings to characters like Nala, Arjuna, Bheemasena, Duryodhana, etc., so we have to concentrate on each and every minute area of the ‘vesham’.
There are four types of ‘Abhinayas’ in Kathakali, among which ‘Aharyam’ is very important. We can’t compromise on it,” he added. Appunni Tharakan was the chief costumer of the Kerala Kalamandalam Kathakali Troupe for some years. During that time, he was very active in preparing new costumes and make-up materials for the artists. After he retired from Kalamandalam, Tharakan slowly moved to concentrate on his own costume-renting organisation named “Manjuthara” at his home near Vellinezhi. He remained very much alive and active until Covid, with his uncountable experiences in greenroom activities.
Appunniyettan still lives with the Kathakali costumes at heart, with a lot of colourful memories of yesteryears’ star-packed greenrooms.
