KOCHI: Decked in an elaborate costume and face painted in vibrant green, Kalamandalam Vishnu M Gupta is quick to inspire awe among the audience with his melodious baritone and seamless transition of facial expressions. The Palakkad resident is a civil engineer turned Ottanthullal artist who has been honing his craft since he was a teenager.
Vishnu made headlines when he wrote, choreographed and performed a thullal based on the life of his late guru and renowned Ottanthullal artist Kalamandalam Geethanandan last year, on the latter’s death anniversary. “This tribute was my gurudakshina,” Vishnu says.
Though traditional thullal draws its stories from mythology, Vishnu also writes original verses. During the pandemic, he wrote and performed a thullal piece inspired by the Covid regulations to spread awareness among the people. The video went viral on social media even garnering praise from ministers. “When Kunjan Nambiar founded this art form, he wanted to highlight the inequalities and injustices of society, as well as the problems faced by the people. Covid is one such issue that plagued contemporary society,” asserts Vishnu.
Though he came from a family with no background in arts, Vishnu never lacked the support of his parents. However, he had to pause his education at Kalamandalam briefly to pursue higher studies. Though he was employed as an engineer, the embers of his passion never died down. So, he quit his job and jumped right back to learning thullal, earning a post-graduation from Kalamandalam.
Despite being known as the ‘poor man’s kathakali’, Ottanthullal has so much more to it than its perceived simplicity. As Vishnu points out, anyone who understands Malayalam can enjoy it. The humorous verses were Nambiar’s way of criticising society without actually pointing fingers at anyone. “He uses humour to prompt the audience to think for themselves,” states the artist.
“Though Nambiar has written nearly 70 thullal pieces, only about 12 are usually enacted on stage,” rues Vishnu. “Many choose to perform only the well-known works because it is difficult to memorise 1,500-2,500 lines of new material. I feel like it is my duty to bring all of Nambiar’s works to life on stage,” he continues.
During his recent performance at the temple festival at Sree Poornathrayeesa temple in Thripunithura, he choreographed and performed one such work, ‘Syamanthakam’.
Unlike other artforms, thullal has the artist interacting with the audience as well. It is a great way to make them feel involved and keep them excited, Vishnu believes. “When I point to someone in the audience, they become a character in the performance. The audience becomes curious, wondering who will be next — it keeps them on edge,” he says. This is one of the many reasons why thullal became popular. “Nambiar envisioned thullal to be a very inclusive art form. No matter your religion, caste or gender, this is an art form that anyone can master.”
With over 12 years of experience as a thullal artist, Vishnu has received many awards and recognitions to substantiate it. While Vishnu is currently working as an engineer, he dedicates a considerable amount of time to the art as well. “One is my profession, the other is my passion,” he says, adding, “In the future, I would love to turn my passion into a full-fledged career”.