Kathakali’s splendour has gained enormous admiration for the state of Kerala all over the world. We are proud that this renowned artform developed over 300 years ago on Kerala’s coasts. It blends devotion, drama, dance, music, costumes, and make-up to create a holy experience for everyone who are fortunate enough to witness it. It retells great stories from the past, primarily from Indian epics, and the myriad nuances involved in the performance keep one enthralled.
His Looks : The makeup is called “chutti”.
Throughout the performance, the audience is unable to shift their gaze away from the spectacle on stage. The storytelling aspect of this art is related with Kathakali, an important genre in Indian classical dance. It’s a dance drama from Kerala, India’s southernmost state.
Different Eyes : There is only one way to look at him.
The story in ‘Kathakali’ is also transmitted to the audience through great footwork and impressive facial and hand gestures, accompanied by music and vocal performance, similar to other Indian classical dance arts. The detailed and vibrant make-up, unique face masks, and costumes worn by dancers, as well as their style and motions, which represent the age-old martial arts and athletic norms widespread in Kerala and adjacent regions, set it apart from the others. Traditionally, performed by male dancers, it arose in Hindu regions’ palaces and theatres, in contrast to other Indian classical dance forms.
Koppu : It is a prayer for the future.
“KATHAKALI” is usually organised around the ‘Attakatha’, which refers to the story of attam or dance. ‘Attakatha’ are plays that were historically taken from Hindu epics such as the ‘Bhagavata Purans’, ‘Mahabharata’, and ‘Ramayana’, and were composed in a format that allows one to distinguish between the dialogue portions (Pada) and the action portions (Shloka).
Pacha : An artist creates a character with his mind.
Copyrights:
All the photos and text in this post are copyright of Vinod korakuti, Jaggayyapeta, Andhra Pradesh, Creative Hut Institute of Photography.Their reproduction, full or part, is forbidden without the explicit approval of the rightful owners.
