KOCHI: A curious debate is on among kathakali enthusiasts regarding the changes brought in during the past three decades in the costumes, which are allegedly eroding the beauty of the traditional art form.
The debate is over the plaited bulging skirt that has been one of the characteristic features of the exuberant opera.
The skirt of the male characters in kathakali is designed to enlarge the proportions. Dozens of stiffened clothes are tied to the waist of the artist to make the skirt bulge. However, during the past three decades, the makeup underwent certain changes. The Kaliyogams, or the troupes that provide the costumes, have started using plasticised tarps instead of stiffened cotton, which has allegedly affected the symmetry of the costumes. However, makeup artists say washing and stiffening the cloth after each performance is difficult.
Triggering the debate, a kathakali enthusiast wrote on social media that plastic tarps make the skirts look like an inverted basket. As the hemispherical skirt has grown out of proportion, it reveals the pyjama and the stiffened cloth underneath to the audience sitting in front of the stage.
“During our prime years, cotton clothes stiffened with rice starch were used as Ulluval to give the costume a hemispherical look. The cotton cloth was easy to use and gave the costume an elegant look. Nowadays, the Kaliyogams do not get the clothes washed after each programme. So they have opted for plasticised tarps which need not be washed,” said Kathakali legend Kalamandalam Gopi.
However, he said using plastic gunny bags gives an uneven look to the skirt, affecting the aesthetics. “When the artist turns around, the skirt will move, and the undergarments will be visible to the audience. We should have some aesthetic sense in makeup as it should be appealing to the audience,” he said.
“It is impossible to return to the bygone days when cotton clothes were used as Ulluval. A lot of work is involved in preparing the costumes and washing the dozens of cotton cloth after each performance is not practical,” said Kalamandalam dean and governing council member K B Rajanand.
“While accepting the argument that we should change according to the times, we have to agree the size of the skirt has grown out of proportion now. Many famous artists demand to make the skirt look bigger to give extravagant looks to the character. The changes in costumes have indeed affected the beauty of the characters. This can be solved by increasing the length of the skirt,” he said.
The changes in costumes have made the appearance of Kathakali artists more impressive, said Kalamandalam Manesh Panicker, who makes kathakali headgear. “It will be better if institutions like Kalamandalam, Sadanam, and Margi, who conduct Kathakali courses, start a course for kathakali makeup artists on proper syllabus,” he said.
Pallipuram Unnikrishnan, who wrote a book on Kathakali, seconded his opinion. “Most of the artists prefer plastic as it reduces weight. An artist has to wear around 18 kg of costumes to perform, and reducing the weight will help them perform with ease, he said.