KOCHI: Classical dancer, activist and actor Mallika Sarabhai, who took over as the chancellor of Kalamandalam three years ago, wants to transform the institution into an international centre of performing arts. But the institution is bogged down by a slew of issues including incompetent staff, politics and lack of funds. She urges Keralites worldwide to chip in and support the institution in its efforts to become self-reliant.
Excerpts of the interview.
Q. When you took over as the chancellor of Kalamandalam you had many plans to develop it into an international Centre of traditional arts. But nothing has happened during the past three years. What are factors hindering the transition?
A. There are many internal issues that need to be sorted out. When Kalamandalam was elevated to a deemed university, people who were clerks suddenly became officers, without any training. It has been run by people who are not capable of being in a university or in an actual academic pedagogical system. For example, there is not one person other than the Vice chancellor and the registrar, who can actually create an email in English, in the entire office. You can’t be in an institution and say I don’t know. And there is politics. It is a strange paradox. And yet some good things have happened, like the Muslim girl doing Kathakali. This was something I fought for when I came here for the first time. There should not be any barriers of caste or gender.
Q. So do you mean politics is hindering the transition?
A. Politics is one among the issues.
On one hand there is this incorrectly staffed institution and you can’t throw anybody out because the rules are like that. Nor can you bring anybody in. So how do you expand and grow an institution where a Vice chancellor or the registrar have to handle every file because nobody else is capable? B Ananthakrishnan is a wonderful vice chancellor but he has come from the nitty gritty's of Hyderabad University. So he is much more a person to try and sort out the system.
If you bring partymen, bring people who are efficient, people who know how to write accounts in English on a computer. If they can keep the accounts efficiently, and the head of accounts is conversant with government and university regulations, it will work.
Q. Is it possible to change the system?
A. Unless we change some of the elements within our institution that are completely not working, we cannot transform. Retire them and give them salaries at home. Get some people who can at least competently handle a computer. There is an attitude that even if some people don’t work for 200 days they cannot be thrown out. It is like having our hands and feet tied up.
Q. Kalamandalam is facing acute fund crunch as it is dependent on government grants. What is your plan for the future?
Fund crunch is one problem we have been facing every month. We have been planning to tie up with foreign and Indian Universities, how can we go beyond being a Kathakali, Koodiyattam school etc. But if you are fighting for your salary and are bothered about the next grant, the focus shifts. People tell me their living from one day to the next is so difficult that they do not have the luxury of fighting for the larger issues.
Two months ago I met finance minister Balagopal who told me that Kalamandalam should find alternate funds and stop depending on the government. I know how difficult the government situation is. I know how the Centre is blocking funds. Each institution has to try and find a different model.
Q. What are the plans to make Kalamandalam self reliant?
A. Kalamandalam is one institution Malayalees across the world feel proud about. There are so many wealthy Malayalees across the world. Can they not actually put their wallet where their mouth is? We need to have an independent corpus, it cannot go on dependent on the government. Because I know what is happening with the Kerala government. Business men can sponsor a teaching block and we are ready to give their names to the building. Somebody can provide a corpus fund and we can use the interest as a cushion. I am willing to go around and ask people to support the institution which is Kerala's pride.
Q. So the idea is to raise funds from art enthusiasts?
A. We need thinkers, people from the government, funders and people with a vision to come together. I wrote to Vice chancellor Ananthakrishnan a month ago, about how we forgot the larger vision. We are so bogged down by whether there will be salary tomorrow or not.We need to form friends of Kalamandalam groups. One group can form friends of Kalamandalam together who can be our spokespeople in the world. Another group should try to connect with other universities so that we can have 15 day summits and study abroad programmes. They are working towards that.
I have suggested that you first put together a Friends of Kalamandalam group and I would like the former ISRO chairman who is also a Kathakali dancer (K Radhakrishnan) to head it. I would like industry heads like M A Yusufali to join us. They are the people who have to become our ambassadors.
Q. Is this lack of adaptability limited to office staff. What about teachers?
A. There are teachers also who find change difficult. But it is an attitude shift. There are many new staffers and teachers who are really adaptive. Dheeraj, a Kathakali teacher, made a wonderful adaptation of The Old Man And the Sea of Ernest Hemingway. That is the kind of work I have been demanding. We should bring people with creativity, directors and work with them.
Q. There have been many adaptations of western literature in Kathakali like King Lear. But will the Kathakali lovers accept?
A. I am personally more interested in seeing Kathakali and Mohiniatttam coming out of Duryodhana vadhams. Though rooted in Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi, I am constantly trying to adapt to the changing times because Bharatanatyam is a language that is very powerful. There are many talented Kathakali and Koodiyattam dancers. Why can’t we have a new Koodiyattam or Kathakali based on relevant issues of the present. Don’t bastardise Kathakali, but be open to cange. Who said that Kathakali has to talk only about gods. I think art is a vast ocean. When we are copying Shakespeare it is not considered appropriation, but when somebody from a different community performs a Bharatanatyam, everybody is upset. Why this double standard? Why can’t you use Kathakali as a language that can connect with a new audience. In Bharatanatyam I have done this.
Q. Do you think the Kathakali enthusiasts will accept this change?
A. There have been some experiments and I think Kalamandalam should be at the cusp of change. We can have performances on issues like climate change and pollution. I have taken classics and twisted them around. For example, my Sita says I am happy to be without Rama because now I can bring up my children as secure people and not insecure husbands. It was around 30 years ago and it drew a lot of flak. But I am still standing.
Q. Kalamandalam is not getting talented students nowadays. The youngsters are not ready to sacrifice 14 years to learn an art which doesn't even guarantee a livelihood. How can this be addressed?
A. If you want to be a centre of excellence for performing arts, you have to get the course tailored. Why should Kalamandalam run a school? If you are saying that you are teaching an art, then forget about teaching English, grammar and mathematics. You are not good at it and your heart's not in it. When a 20-year-old student comes to Darpana and says I am ready to attend classes for five hours, I will impart such training that he can have arangettam in one and a half years. Why should we stretch a course in Idakka and Mridangam that can be completed in two years to 10 years? Since I came to Kalamandalam I have been hearing that the deemed university will be elevated into a university. But nothing has happened.
Q. Last year, the VC and Registrar had gone to the US for some tie ups with foreign universities. Has there been any progress?
A. Tie up with foreign universities would have brought in a lot of income and interaction. But we need some infrastructure facilities like hostels with international standards, teachers who can speak more than Malayalam, a catering service that serves good quality food. I am just saying that we need focus teams that can plan for 10 years in advance. It is basically two people with two assistants who have some information running that institution. And I hope this bunch of young artists and teachers will not get into the mentality of the older generation.
Q. Do you have the support of the government for transforming the institution?
A. If Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has brought me in, it is with a purpose and I have to fulfill that purpose. That is my promise to him and that purpose is to shake up this institution. I told the health minister that if you have an inoculation drive let me get a writer and four artists who can create a programme in an innovative way. I have not been able to speak to the CM but I have spoken to the ministers. We can create performances for promotion of government schemes and awareness. That makes the art relevant and gives jobs to many people.
