Leading a legacy

KOCHI: Even at the pinnacle of fame, Kalamandalam Sankara Warrier used to find immense pleasure in hard work. So, these days, when you see him going a bit easy on a reclining chair at his house atop a small hill at Eloor, you feel surprised for a moment. On second thought, you realise he should relax, having left nothing more to prove during an exemplary career.

Warrier has for long belonged to that elite group of maddalam maestros in kathakali in Kerala and at one period, seemed the most preferred one as his improvisation, rooted in purity, caught the imagination of the enthusiasts. He thus added a fresh dimension to the female characters, for whom maddalam is played diligently and at length in the classical dance form. His disciples from the FACT School and beyond, and his son Arun Dev Warrier, keep his style alive in the world of percussion. And Warrier, 65, has become a bit choosy, unwinding and allowing his mind to wander freely. A lot of time is devoted to spirituality, which allows him to perceive his life and others from an altogether different angle. He shared some of his thoughts with Express.

Your son Arun is following in your footsteps. Do children of great artists feel pressure while doing so or is it a lot easier?

I would say there should be an inborn talent if you want to do it. In Arun’s case, I realised his potential when he was barely six months old. I believe he, like Abhimanyu, must have learnt the rhythm and basics when he was in his mother’s womb. Then it was a natural progression as he took interest. But I made it a point that he never lost his focus on studies. Kiran (my younger son) can match him, but he doesn’t seem to push himself.

You’ve a lot of disciples...

I’m delighted to see their progress. A few talented boys stopped learning somewhere along the way due to different reasons. Passion isn’t enough to become a good performer, you need jnanam as well. Then only you can learn the finer details and rightly reproduce it.

In general, I would say maddalam performers, unlike in my prime days, have increased in number. And many of them are really talented and do consistently well, be it in kathakali or panchavadyam. I’m not concerned about its future.

Young enthusiasts are showing great interest in kathakali and panchavadyam... There’s something classy for everyone who turns up for kathakali, yet it continues to attract only a particular type of crowd. Melam has achieved more popularity. Usually we tend to look down upon anything that is popular, but I wouldn’t do that. It is throwing up new performers and I’m happy to see them all getting paid well, unlike in the past.

How about the pressure to perform and flourish?

I don’t believe in that. If you are a percussionist, when you start performing, you don’t think about anything else.

You’re completely immersed in it, free from all other emotions. You analyse your performance later, put in more hard work and try to come back stronger next time. I’m sad to see people losing their focus and going wayward. The onus is only on them.

You’ve said it’s tough to be a maddalam performer?

It is. Hanging the heavy instrument around your waist itself is difficult and you need to really toil to make the tone come out of it. Tougher part is that you can’t see its faces while playing it, unlike chenda, thimila, etc. You need to be really good at it, if you look to create difference.

Fact file
Born on
June 1, 1952, at Thillenkery, Kannur
Studied at
Kerala Kalamandalam
Taught at
Kerala Kalamandalam and FACT School
Author of
Maddalam Enna Mangalavadyam