After remaining a temple art for centuries exclusively narrating stories from the epic Ramayana, shadow puppetry in Kerala has hit a path of experimentation with a master artist planning to adapt the medium for Shakespearean plays.
The initiative is being taken up by master puppeteer K.K. Ramachandra Pulavar, who paved the way for experimentation of novel themes in the traditional art in a bid to grab the attention of the young audience. But, while experimenting with secular themes, the traditional focus would not be abandoned or the ritualistic purity of the art compromised, he said. The puppeteers could illustrate the magical stories of epics by dexterous movement of puppets and beaming their shadows on cloth screens.
They enthralled the audience by transforming the cloth screen into a battlefield or magnificent palaces in seconds by moving the objects swiftly in the light of wick lamps.
But the art form, known as Tholpavakuthu in Kerala, is in crisis now due to a host of reasons including the fast dwindling number of viewers, domination of new forms of entertainment and absence of talented artists.
The ritualistic art form was once a sought-after item during temple festivals in the state, but its glamour gradually faded over the decades in the flood of new modes of entertainment like cinematic dance, comedy shows and mimicry. The lack of knowledge of the new generation about the history and legacy of the art form is one of the major problems it faces, says the Pulavar.
Pulavar is the title given to the puppeteers in Kerala. “Shadow puppetry is one of the oldest art forms in the world. It is as old as human race. Humans have been practicing this art form since they had realised the flexibility of their body and the scope of sign languages. Unfortunately, our youngsters are not at all aware about the glory and tradition of this visual art,” Pulavar said.
Enacted on the basis of Kambaramayana (a 12th century Tamil version of the epic written by Kamban on the lines of Valmiki’s Ramayana in Sanskrit), the tholpavakooth is traditionally performed in Bhadrakali temples in the state.
According to believers, the Goddess Kali could not watch the fight of Lord Rama and demon king Ravana as she was fighting with Darika, another demon during the time. So, the ‘koothu’ is staged before the Goddess to make her know about the incidents she missed out.
In most temples, an idol of the goddess would be placed in a podium before the “koothumadam”, a 42-feet-long special stage erected for the ‘kooth’.
The artists will move the puppets, representing various mythical characters, behind a cloth screen in the background of 21 lighted lamps, made of coconut cut in half. Background verses and the playing of musical instruments like ‘ilathalam’ (cymbal), ‘shanka’ (conch), ‘chengila’ (gong) and ‘chenda’ (drum) will add more grace to the show. It is believed that the Goddess would not sleep throughout the night to witness the show, which used to begin in the night and would last since sunrise. As per the tradition of each temple, the ‘kooth’ would last for 7, 14, 21, 41, 71 or 91 days. Though only Ramayana had been enacted in the traditional ‘tholpavakooth’, a notable change has come in the selection of topics these days.
A wide range of subjects, from the stories of Mahabharatha and Puranas to biblical themes are performed in ‘tholpavakooth’ now, Pulavar, a member of a Palakkad-based traditional family of ‘tholpavakooth’ artists, said.
He has been performing shadow puppetry inside and outside Kerala for the last 45 years, displaying his talents in various countries like Russia, Sweden, Ireland, Germany, Greece, Singapore, Japan and so on.
Not only the dwindling number of viewers, but the absence of well-trained, skillful artists also has contributed to the decline of the art form, he said.
Anybody interested in puppetry cannot become pulavars, the puppeteers.
Years of rigorous training and deep knowledge in epics and languages like Sanskrit, Tamil and Malayalam are inevitable for a ‘tholpavakooth’ performer. The selection of new topics was inevitable to grab the attention of young audience, Ramachandra Pulavar said.
“Grabbing the attention of youngsters is a real challenge. They always prefer new modes of entertainments like cinematic dance or comedy shows.”
“How can we go before them saying the same old Ramayana story? So I have experimented a handful of new themes ranging from the story of Jesus and Mahabali to the life and work of Mahatma Gandhi in shadow puppetry,” the Pulavar, a winner of Kerala Folklore Academy award, said.
“The puppetry was actually not the temple art to its roots. Nomadic artists used to perform the show praising kings and those in powers during ancient days.”
“It had also been performed to bring prosperity to the land by villagers and agrarian community. So there is nothing wrong in experimenting new themes other than Ramayana,” the Pulavar, who quit his government job to promote the art form, said.
The attempt to confine the art form within the four walls of temples is not good for the existence of the centuries-old art, he added.