KOCHI: Time has brought a great many changes in all respects of life and art is no different. A number of ancient artforms that held high status in the past are struggling to find a footing in modern times with many of them fading into the annals of history.
The only way out, according to Rahul Pulavar, a scholar with the Centre for Intangible Heritage Studies at SSUS, Kalady, is to diversify and amalgamate the artform with the current generation.“Recently, on World Puppetry Day, our group called the Kavalapara Sangam, presented a tholpavakoothu (shadow puppetry) on Covid-19,” said Rahul. According to him, the koothu was used as a means of spreading awareness among people about the steps that are to be taken to halt the spread of the devastating virus.
“This was part of the endeavour undertaken by my father Ramachandra Pulavar to make tholpavakoothu more people-friendly. He found that if the traditional artform was to survive the onslaught of time, it has to be brought out from the temples to the midst of the public,” said Rahul, who belongs to the 13th generation of this family which has been involved in tholpavakoothu for the past 700 years.
“My father’s foresight to take up topics that have relevance in the current scenario is what keeps this traditional temple artform alive. There were many families engaged in the making of tholpavakoothu. However, all of them slowly faded away. The younger generations have abandoned the artform,” he said.
Rahul’s elder brother Rajeev and his elder sister Rajitha along with their mother are all involved in tholpavakoothu. “The three-and-a-half-minute-long video that was brought out on World Puppetry Day shows the diversion from traditional subjects that formed the basis for erstwhile tholpavakoothu shows,” he said. According to him, the video was shared and posted on various social media platforms by the France-based Union International Ve-La Marionic.
According to Rahul, in 2006, the artform that usually showcases Kamba Ramayanam presented the story of Mahatma Gandhi for the first time. “The Mahatma Gandhi Koothu told the life story of the father of the nation in one hour. This was presented in over 40 countries. It was during his tour in Israel that my father came up with the idea of presenting ‘Yesu koothu’ transcending religious barriers. You will be surprised to hear that ‘Yesu Koothu’ was presented in over 200 stages and is still very popular,” he said.
“The other contemporary topics that have been taken up for tholpavakoothu by our Kavalapara Sangam are that for the Aardram Mission, election campaigns, anti-ragging and women empowerment. As a part of women empowerment initiative, my father has taught the artform to many women who expressed their interest,” he said. The family has also set up Krishnan Kutty Pulavar Memorial Tholpavakoothu & Puppet Centre.
“The centre has been instrumental in reviving this traditional artform. It was founded in the memory of my grandfather K L Krishnan Kutty Pulavar. The centre has a puppet theatre where puppets of diverse styles, including deerskin puppets, have been exhibited. Also exhibited are collections of books and manuscripts some of which are more than 800-years-old,” said Rahul.