Kathakali @ Rasa

[ Here's my Web Album of the event]








Kathakali performance by the internationally acclaimed artiste Kottakkal Sasidharan Nair, of Darpana Academy of Performing Arts, Ahmedabad. He performed 2 stunning pieces of this great, difficult to perform, rigorous dance-drama craft. One piece of the performance here included evincing of all the NavaRasa.

Nava means "Nine" and Rasa is often translated as "mood", "emotion", "expression" or "sentiment". The Navarasa, in the dance scriptures refer to the nine expressions that humans often show. These are love (shringaara), laughter (haasya), kind-heartedness or compassion (karuna), anger (roudra), courage (veera), fear (bhayaanaka), disgust (beebhatsa), wonder or surprise (adbhutha) and peace or tranquility (shaantha).

It was staged as part of an evening of music and dance at Rasa Restaurant, Holiday Inn, King's Cross, London. During this trip to UK, he has been invited to perform at some of the universities and cultural forums. Though I was expecting to see a performance with the ealborate and appealing constumes of Kathakali, it was not to be. When I queried about it to the artist, he informed that, Unfortunately,travelling with the full costume is so unaffordably costly for the poor artists, as are the costumes for different characters which were being performed. Therefore it isn't practical to have those while travelling unless there are sponsors for it.

{ Sasidharan Nair sought Kathakali training in Kottakkal, Kerala, under the famous artist Kottakkal Krishnankutty Nair. Subsequently, he received training in Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi from the world renowned Dr. Mrinalini Sarabhai, Founder-Director of Darpana Academy of Performing Arts, Ahmedabad. He also learned Koodiyattam under Kalamandalam Narayana Chakiyar. He has been a teacher, resident artist and member of faculty of Darpana Academy since 1973.
An interview with the artist-- http://narthaki.com/info/intervw/intrvw96.html
His website-- http://kottakkalsasidharan.com/
}