KOCHI: Kathakali singer Pathiyoor Sankarankutty has been developing, practicing and honing his art for over three decades. Brush strokes from illustrious seniors, leading actor, stage compatriot, family member and self make his multi-dimensional portrait. Senior Kathakali singers Cherthala Thankappa Panikkar (narrated by his son) and Kalanilayam Unnikrishnan affectionately line out his grooming, grain, rendition and appeal. Chenda artist Kalamandalam Unnikrishnan paints live and vivid perspectives of his co-performer. Veteran actor Kalamandalam Vasu Pisharody waxes eloquently on the rich chemistry that the actor forms with the singer and his masterful art. The portrait of the artist as a child and teenager is viewed through the lens of his elder brother, Govindankutty Karanavar.
Backdrop
‘Achan, Krishna Pillai did not want me to follow his footsteps into the world of Kathakali music. He desired that I learn to earn the comforts of a secure job. Later, his paternal instincts may have realised that my inner competences were aligning with the world of music around. In this context, he decided that I better train to don the centre-stage vesham, than bring up backstage singing. Four years into my learning to act, at the arengettam, he clairvoyantly hinted that it could be singing that might bring me annam. The first milestone had slipped behind,’ Sankarankutty once said.
Kalanilayam Unnikrishnan reminisces, ‘My father, Thakazhi Madhava Kurup, was guru to Krishna Pillai chettan, his father, when he embarked on the musical journey in his middle age. Sankarankutty, was a regular presence on his Achan’s lap, during my father’s tutelage; a privilege that even I was not privy to.’
Govindankutty said, ‘I was elder to him by about 10 years. As a little child, his drumming, on the areca nut palm leaf plate, around the house, to the beat of the local ‘deity procession’, perhaps, betrayed an innate sense of rhythm. After his pre-degree studies in commerce, Achan and I coaxed him to attend ‘Ganabhooshanam’ audition at R.L.V College, Thripunithura, to help him find a job as a music teacher in schools. He gained entry and graduated in first class. He joined Achan in rendering music for performances, shortly after. A proud moment was when I gained feedback that Sri Neyyattinkara Vasudevan, who evaluated the performances had reserved highest praise for him.
Likeness
‘I consider him my half-brother in the Kathakali world, for he has my father’s music in him’, suggests
Kalanilayam Unnikrishnan, possessively. ‘My association with Sankarankutty starts from when he was a student at RLV, where I taught then. The well-entrenched Carnatic training has imbibed in him musical purity, which he adapts to heighten Kathakali music’, Cherthala Thankappa Panikkar admiringly speaks of Sanakarankutty.
‘1984 marked the meeting with the big brother, Hyderali Asan. His liking my singing marked the most influential period of the journey. I enjoyed his patronage when he sang for acts, down south. And how it helped me learn! His association with Gopi Asan bestowed me the enviable privilege of singing for the acting maestro,” he said.
Mood
‘His crisp pronunciation supports clarity of expression and creates visual images in an aficionado’s mind, per se. His control of the stage seems impeccable, which I think is an innate trait backed by training. In summary, he has mastered the art of balancing the triangular constraints of ‘chitta’, ‘sampradayam’ and Carnatic music prowess, appealing to aficionados and newer audiences’, says Thankappa Panikkar. Kalamandalam Unnikrishnan says, ‘I share about 40 stages with him every year; his demeanour and attitude towards co-performers and organisers exemplify professionalism. What marks Sankarankutty’s art is his innate skill in developing the ‘chitta bodham’, with just the one-year orientation at Kalamandalam.
‘In a historical context, the vacuum created by the loss of Unnikrishna Kurup in the 80s, saw the emergence of Embranthiri, Haridas and Hyderali. The trio passing away in the nineties, set the tone for a new generation of singers to emerge, with Sankarankutty in the lead. Kalanilayam Unnikrishnan looks back. ‘Sankarankutty is a lead singer of the era that followed. The audience likes him and the Carnatic underpinning that he brings to the rendition. Thus far, he has delivered restrained performances, which have been extremely enjoyable. It’s easy to get carried away with experimenting and playing to trends. Sankarankutty has held his own.’Sankaradaranam, a felicitation to Pathiyoor Sankarankutty, is scheduled on August 26 and 27 at Evoor SriKrishna Swamy Temple premises.