UDUPI: Even as Kantara, the super-hit Kannada movie, brought back the magic of the culture of coastal Karnataka on celluloid, the audiences were spellbound by a performance of the pure, original form of Yakshagana at Matapady village of Bramavara taluk in Udupi district on November 12.
The efforts of the Yakshagana troupe that performed at Matapady village in reintroducing finer nuances of the art won many hearts. The unique Yakshagana show, bereft of the urge to be modern, was hosted by the Sri Nandikeshwara Yakshagana Kala Mandali, Matapady, Brahmavara which gave a chance to the audience to savour the art in its original form and glory.
The Kala Mandali was founded by Tonse Kanthappa 57 years ago, and the artistes and people in the troupe have made a sincere effort to preserve the original Yakshagana art. Decades ago, the Matapady form of the art, which involves dance performances during the show, had gained prominence. Tonse Kanthappa, who had earned the epithet of Yakshagana encyclopaedia, taught the artistes the finer nuances of the art. Kanthappa’s son Tonse Jayanth Kumar is the director of the troupe now. Aiming to give the audience a chance to cherish the old style, Yakshagana lovers in Matapady, like Chandrashekar Kalkura and Sarpu Sadananda Patil, along with other like-minded people, decided to organise the show.
The troupe began its show around 8.30 pm, incorporating four different productions, with the last episode concluding at 6.30 am. More than 2,000 people from Sagar, Bhatkal, Thirthahalli, Kumta, Sringeri, Sullia, Puttur, Bengaluru and other places attended the show. Around 45 artistes from Mandarthi, Maranakatte and Amritheshwari Yakshagana troupes were invited to perform mythological episodes like Mayapuri Mahathme, Veeramani Kalaga, Karnarjuna Kalaga and Meenakshi Kalyana.
Jayanth Kumar, who teaches in several organisations, said the art has three forms -- Thenku Thittu, which is performed in places like Kasaragod, Dakshina Kannada and southern parts of Udupi; Badagu Thittu, performed in northern parts of Udupi; and Badaa-Badagu in Uttara Kannada. Matapady Thittu and Harady Thittu are regarded as the other unique forms. However, with time, artistes have overlooked the unique features, and performed without taking care of the nuances, he said.
Patil, who had organised the show, told The New Sunday Express that he spent more than a month executing the plan for the show, which began with contacting artistes from various troupes. Explaining the difference in costumes for artistes in Matapady Thittu, Patil said an artiste in this form wears a ‘Kattu Meese’, which lends a masculine look to the role.
The costumes were traditional, and it was maintained throughout the show from the entry of an artiste, and even during dance and dialogue. The silver colour armlet (bhuja keerthi) was also part of the costume of artistes. Instead of going for the modern crown, they had opted for the traditional ‘Kedage Mundasu’, a crown made from cloth materials.
Apart from the performances, the mere sight of an artiste in the costume mesmerises the audience, taking their memories back to the old days. Senior Yakshagana artistes, like Kodi Vishwanatha Ganiga, Ajri Gopala Ganiga, Airody Govindappa, Madhava Nagoor, Kolali Krishna Shetty, Naradi Bhojaraja Shetty, and Uppunda Nagendra Rao, stole the show.
Matapady Chandrashekar Kalkura, a Yakshagana lover who played a major role in organising the show, recalled that the audiences were curious to come to the greenroom and observe how ‘Kedage Mundasu’ was made. Bhagavathas (interpreters) Kigga Hiriyanna Acharya, Nagesh Kulal, Heranjalu Gopala Ganiga, Hosala Uday Kumar enthralled the audience with their fine and powerful narration. ‘‘We wanted to organise this show to tell the new generation how Yakshagana art is unique and has significance of its own,’’ he said.
Sidelights
The Matapady form of Yakshagana show stagedin Udupi
Senior artistes from different Yakshagana troupes come together to make it possible
Show aimed at bringing back finer nuances of the art form