KOCHI: With its intense training, long hours of make-up and elaborate costume, Kathakali is a difficult dance form to master and perform. While earlier the classical art was considered a male bastion, things have changed for better in the years that went by with more and more women performers coming forward. Purnima Menon is one among them. The Malayali Kathakali artist from Delhi who has been performing the artform since the early eighties, is one of the few artists who dons male characters. But the uniqueness of the talented artist does not end here. Purnima is also a corporate honcho who is striking a perfect balance between art and her vocation as the executive vice-president of Bangalore-based CSS Corp Pvt Ltd.
The artist, who recently played the role of Krishna as part of ‘Nizhalkuthu’ at Kalikota Palace, talks to City Express about her artistic journey.
“I was introduced to art as a child, with my father being a ‘chenda’ performer and Kathakali aficionado and my grandfather a member of Cochin Kathakali club,” says Purnima who spent her childhood in Delhi. “I was seven when my father enrolled me at International Centre For Kathakali (ICK), New Delhi,” she remembers.
Purnima began learning under the tutelage of Guru Sadanam Balakrishnan. The artist confesses that she was not a serious student in the beginning. “Though I started performing from the age of nine, there was a time when I took a detour and concentrated more on studies. But once we fall in love with Kathakali, we cannot stay away for long from it,” says the artist who has been learning for the past 15 years under the guidance of Evoor Rajendran Pillai.
Purnima says the call for the art form is so ardent that now Kathakali is the most important part of her life. “I have a slender figure and earlier I felt the four-hour makeup was too taxing for me. But over the years, I feel a sense of evolution. Kathakali makes me charged. The level of commitment required is immense, but the satisfaction that we get after a performance is beyond words,” she says.
It is surprising to learn from Purnima that at ICK, 90 per cent students were girls. “More and more women are learning the art form. It is no longer a male bastion. The green and red tinted protagonists should have a majestic air, but women can also perform with proper training,” says Purnima who has essayed numerous characters over these years. Apart from Krishna’s role that she has done several times, one of the character that stays close to her heart is ‘Poothana’ of ‘Poothanamoksham’. “The transformation of Poothana from the beautiful woman to the fierce demoness is intense. I thoroughly enjoyed performing the character.” Purnima also fondly remembers the major characters that she has essayed to perfection, from the naughty ‘Hanuman’ in ‘Lavanasuravadham’ to the powerful Bheema in ‘Bhagavatam’ to the pious Sathi of ‘Dakshayagam’. “I am game to all characters. To learn and grow more as an artist, we should not say no to any role that comes our way,” she says.
“There is enough scope for improvisation each time we perform,” says Purnima who spends her time during off days watching the performances of other artists on YouTube and CDS. “We should keep watching and learning to master Kathakali,” says Purnima.
Purnima left Delhi for Bangalore in 2007 where the scene was not that positive during the early days. “There was hardly one play or so in a year. Bangalore Centre for Kathakali and Arts was formed the following year. “There were like-minded people. We formed the group and started performing,” she says. Now Purnima performs frequently both in and outside the city.
Recollecting the memories of her Punjabi classmates during the Delhi days, who played adeptly to the tunes, Purnima says, “In every art form, accepting the enthusiasts from other places is very important. Art forms like Kathakali will survive only if we propagate them among more people.”
Ask Purnima the most evident question, how she juggles between two professions that require considerable time and dedication, the Delhi School of Economics graduate says, “I was clear about the work-life balance from the very beginning. Performing Kathakali recharges me and fills me with immense energy which helps me to work more. An exchange of positive energies keep me going,” says the artist.
In the coming years, the vibrant artist wishes to accomplish a dream: to start a Kathakali village. “Kathakali has given me so much. Now it is my turn to give back. I want to start a ‘Kathakali gramam’ where the students will be taught the traditional lessons of the art form by prominent masters. The idea will be conceptualised in two to three years,” signs off Purnima with a positive nod.