KOCHI: For Chavara Parukutty Amma, the first woman professional kathakali artist, surviving in the male-dominated stage had been a struggle.
Now, 60 years on, the performing art is witnessing a gender revolution as women have started outnumbering men in enrolments at Kalamandalam and RLV College. Overcoming countless hurdles, women have forged ahead in the art form. Among them, a bunch of talented artists at Vanitha Kathakali Sangham (women’s troupe) in Tripunithura is redefining the art.
Celebrating 50 years of defying stereotypes, women artists across Kerala will gather in Tripunithura on Saturday to share their success stories and take to the stage. Dancer, actor and activist Mallika Sarabhai will inaugurate the two-day celebrations at Kalikotta Palace at 5pm on Saturday. “Kathakali was a male-dominated art form; men played women characters.
It was difficult for women artists to enter the field as the green room used to be full of men and we had to take their help to wear costumes and chutty (facial make-up). Most of the venues were temples and there were no toilets. Artists like Chavara Parukutty struggled a lot to survive in the field,” said Vanitha Kathakali Sangham president Radhika Varma.
It was artist Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair who encouraged women like Radhika Varma and Sreemathi Antharjanam, winners of state youth festival, to take the art seriously. “Krishnan Nair Asan asked C R Varma, a connoisseur of the art form, to encourage young girls to present a full play. They selected Kalyana Sougandhikam.
The programme, held in May 1975, was a grand success and marked the beginning of the women’s journey,” said Suma Varma, a veteran artist. “It was the cultural heritage of Tripunithura that facilitated the troupe’s formation. It was pure love for the art that drew us to it. There was criticism, but the support of Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair and the art lovers of Tripunithura gave us the courage to take it up as a profession. I was encouraged to join the troupe by my guru Nelliyodu Vasudevan Namboothiri.,” said Jayashree, a veteran artist who plays ferocious ‘Thadi’ characters.
Struggling to hold the excitement of completing five decades on the kathakali stage, veteran artists Radhika, Sreemathi, Prameela Vijayan, Rhara Varma, Jayashree, Karthika Krishnakumar, Suma Varma, Geetha N, Parvathy Menon, Geetha Varma and Shalini took the initiative to identify colleagues who bid goodbye to the stage after marriage.
Leading from the front is former Tripunithura municipal chairperson, Renjini Suresh, a seasoned artist specialising in ‘Kathi’ (anti-hero) roles. “I joined the troupe in 1989; it remains a proud moment.
Though I am a lawyer, I love the art form and have started a kathakali school where I have groomed many talented artists. Unlike men, we have hindrances like marriage, health issues associated with child birth and motherhood, which force many to leave the stage. So, we have to appreciate the women who overcame all the challenges and continued the profession for 50 years,” said Renjini.
A grand comeback
Among the elders preparing to return to the stage is Girija Madhavan, mother of actor Manju Warrier. The 69-year-old staged her ‘arangettam’ four years ago. She has since performed at several stages playing women characters and Lord Krishna. She will be performing as Kuchela of Kuchelavritham at Guruvayur Sri Krishna Temple on July 16.