Usha Nangiar | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
A young woman turns into stone after her husband curses her because she was seen making love to another man who entered her house disguised as her husband. The woman lies in stone form in the forest waiting to be freed from the curse. Most of us know this much-loved story of Ahalya and sage Gautama. But senior Koodiyattam artist Usha Nangiar has come up with a unique interpretation of this mythological story.
According to Usha, “When Gautama curses her, he says, Ahalya will remain alone and hungry for four seasons. This means she is not just a stone, but a woman trapped in stone.”
Usha has created the other Panchakanyas – Draupadi, Sita, Mandodari and Tara – with the same sensitivity. She wrote new attaparams (acting manuals) for these characters, following Koodiyattam traditions. At the Panchakanya Koodiyattam Mahotsav, which runs till June 18, Usha will present her interpretations along with young exponents Kapila Venu and Aparna Nangiar.
Kapila Venu | Photo courtesy: The Hindu Archives
Usha reimagined these five heroines due to the lack of strong female characters in Nangiarkoothu (solo female performance form of Koodiyattam). She saw her male counterparts playing complex characters, and wished to play multi-layered roles that required the actor to be involved microanalysis (subtle acting). In the 1980s, when Usha was learning, women artistes in Nangiarkoothu were seen only as storytellers. But when one looks at the history of the art, you find strong female characters. “King Kulasekhara Varman, who was a patron of Koodiyattam, married a Nangiar artiste. His patronage ensured a range of female roles. Over time, this theatre tradition lost these roles and their artistes,” says Usha.
Training under Ammanur Madhava Chakyar
Usha’s training under the legendary Ammanur Madhava Chakyar in the 1990s helped her understand the genre. She stayed at the gurukulam for seven years. “He encouraged me to ask questions and be imaginative. Though he was a staunch traditionalist, his contemporary approach was influenced by aesthetics. He stuck to the text but also reinvented it. Also, the respect he gave to female characters was rare. In Ammanur Aasan’s abhinaya, Sita or Tara was given equal respect as important male characters.”
Aparna Nangiar | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Usha explains that while reimagining characters, we must have a deep knowledge of the character’s mind and also know the various dimensions and meanings of the scene.
Talking about the Panchakanya performance, the senior artiste emphasises that it stays within the rules of Koodiyattam. “When I performed it for the first time, the audience felt that this is how contemporary choreography should be. We use this form as a medium to convey the pain of these characters. Through such efforts, we can also come up with innovations. This is how Koodiyattam can grow as an art form,” says Usha.
The Panchakanya Koodiyattam Festival under the baton of Usha Nangiar will be held till June 18 (6 pm) at the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy, Thrissur.
