A scene from the documentary ‘Nizhal Yatrakan’ based on the life and work of Tholpavakuthu artist Ramachandra Pulavar.
Ramachandra Pulavar, the renowned Tholpavakoothu (shadow puppet) artist, is convinced that cinema has evolved from his art form which is centuries old. He cites the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy’s selection of a shadow puppet-influenced official logo for its flagship event, the International Film Festival of Kerala, to buttress his point. Even at 68, this accomplished puppeteer’s enthusiasm for his art remains infectious.
After innovating and improvising Tholpavakoothu to break the shackles of rituals and expand its reach beyond the temple premises, the Padma Shri awardee is extremely happy to have found another tool to make this art form more popular. Nizhal YathrikanThe play, based on the life and work of Mr. Pulavar, directed by theatre artiste Sahir Ali, was premiered before a select audience at Don Bosco in Palarivattom on Friday.
“A similar documentary called borrowed fire The documentary on my father and the great Tholpavakuthu exponent Krishnankutty Pulavar made during 1999-2000 helped create awareness about this art and break new ground. I am confident that this documentary will also shed light on Tholpavakuthu and help further increase its popularity,” says Mr. Pulavar.
He says the art is extremely popular outside Kerala and globally. In Kerala, it is associated with puppet shows for children. Now, it is staged for six months in 85 Devi temples, mainly in Palakkad, Thrissur and Malappuram districts, but Mr. Pulavar regrets that very few people come to see it due to lack of audience.
Mr. Ali’s daughter Fabi Sahir has written the script for the 27-minute long documentary. Before the documentary came out, Mr. Ali had staged a few plays in collaboration with Tholpavakuthu. His old friendship with the Pulavar family in Shoranur inspired the idea of the documentary.
The father-son duo of Krishnankutty and Ramachandra Pulavar are credited with reforming Tholpavakoothu, expressed through storytelling and music rooted in Chenthamizh and Sanskrit. The art form, based on Kamba Ramayanam and staged over 21 days, was condensed into a one-hour stage show and brought outside the temple premises by Krishnankutty Pulavar.
He staged Tholpavakuthu at the World Malayali Conference held in Delhi in 1965, which was the first time it was staged outside a temple. 14 years later, he took it to Russia for the International Puppet Festival.
His son expanded the horizons even further. Mr. Pulavar wrote stories based on Gandhi, Jesus Christ, stories from Panchtantra and literary works like Kumaran Asan. chandalbhikshukiApart from this, they were also translated into English and Hindi.
Mr. Pulavar says, “We have conducted shows in 48 countries so far. We are working with Kerala Tourism to manufacture leather puppets to increase the reach of this art form. Our idea is to make the puppets reach every household in Kerala and also create employment opportunities and alternate revenue models for the artists in the region.”
The ancestral house of the Pulavar family in Shornur has been converted into a museum, which also houses 600-year-old leather puppets, attracting tourists and Tholpavakoothu enthusiasts from far and wide. Mr Pulavar’s sons Rajeev and Rahul have also devoted themselves to the art. Rahul is researching Tholpavakoothu with a fellowship at the University of Connecticut in the US
