THRISSUR: In portraying Narakasuran in an arrangement of Narakasuravdham in the kathakali high school competition at the kalolsavam on Thursday, J Devanarayanan did justice to an art form that he came to be mesmerised by from childhood.
It was his father’s elder brother who inculcated in him a passion for kathakali from a young age. “He used to take me to these recitals and I developed a deep curiosity for the art form,” Devanarayanan said. He started learning kathakali at the age of 11 under veteran artist Kalamandalam Bhagyanath.
The guru cancelled a performance scheduled for Wednesday to watch Devanarayanan on the competition stage. “The kireedam itself weighs around 1.5kg. We wear the kireedam right before the performance. Once on the head, it transforms us. We become the character and enter a state of trance,” shared Devanarayanan, who won ‘A’ grade for his recital. The 15-year-old is a Class 10 student of AKJM HSS, Kanjirappally.