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An Institute Where Heroines Dazzle

Heroine centric works are commonplace in arts and literature. But an institute rising to prominence, courtesy its heroines is a unique feat. The thread is not of a film institute, but of a Kathakali center, the Unnayi Warrier Smaraka Kalanilayam (Kalanilayam as it is fondly called) located at Irinjalakuda in Kerala. For all you know, these ‘heroines’ are male actors who excelled in feminine roles. In Kathakali, the female roles are typically donned by male artistes, though women have forayed into the scene lately.

Damayanti -Sri Champakkara Vijayakumar (Courtesy online resources)

Divine Intervention?

Irinjalakuda is the home for Nalacharitam storyplay (Aattakkatha) and its author Unnayi Warrier, the 18th century poet. The Kathakali institute set up there eternalizes the poet and his contributions to the art form. Nalacharitam, arguably, is the portrayal of the lost love life of Warrier. Though King Nala is the hero, the story centers round his consort Damayanti, a vibrant female character. It is her killer instinct which enables the couple to string together their shattered family life which was caused by the ill will of the demon, Kali. Nalacharitam is perhaps a marked departure from the usual gender stereotyped Kathakali themes where women are portrayed victims of cruel fate. To some, the heroine centricity of Kalanilayam could be a divine intervention of Damayanti.


Decades Old Legacy

Kalanilayam’s fame as heroines’ fav existed since sixties when the late Kottakkal Sivaraman, the famous female role artiste was its academic. Sivaraman’s portrayal opened up a new horizon for female roles and brought them on par with their male counterparts, an act which can be equated to that of Damayanti in Nalacharitam. Those were the days when the organisers were keen to include Kathakali shows that featured female protagonists, to savour Sivaraman’s talent.

Sivaraman’s departure from Kalanilayam paved the way for his disciples Kalanilayam Gopalakrishnan and Kalanilayam Karunakaran to take over the stage. The duo shared an excellent chemistry and made their mark as nayika and sakhi in many presentations like Banayudham, Nalacharitam and Kirmeeravadham. Gopalakrishnan endeared himself to the audience with his stellar solo performance as well in many roles. He was one of the first students to win the meritorious scholarship instituted by the Government of India for pursuing advanced training in Kathakali. He later became the principal of the institute and retired in 2003.


Keeping alive the legacy is the New Gen incumbent, Champakkara Vijayakumar, an artiste and an academic. This is a rare feat for a Kathakali artiste. Presently he is an instructor at the Kalanilayam. Befitting mannerisms and expressions are the highlights of his acting.


Tail piece: In a first, Kerala Kalamandalam, the deemed to be university of art and culture, Kerala has enrolled female students for institutional training in Kathakali( as per practice, only male students get admission for Kathakali training in institutes) Many other institutions could follow suit. Who knows, next in the line of Kalanilayam’s heroine lineage could be a female!!

By K.V.Murali Mohan

A passionate freelance writer and ardent communicator - Double Post Graduate in communication subjects -Recipient of Kulapati Gold Medal and TKM Rao award in Journalism - Credited with four decades of literary pursuit spanning over 300 plus articles in national and regional publications.





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