Unnayi Warrier’s Nalacharitham has always raised a number of challenges even to the most consummate among scholars. Connoisseurs comment that in spite of being an evergreen presence in the heart of great preceptors, the text has been outside the ‘kalari’ (traditional training place). This is because most maestros who aspired to present Nala in any venue have had reservations about training their disciples in enacting the episode, except, perhaps a few scenes in its second part. Any veteran, despite his commendable track record, takes exceptional care in staging any major role in Nalacharitham.
It is in the above context that Kathakali buffs in the capital city watched Kalamandalam Balasubrahmanyan’s presentation of Bahuka in the third part of the play. The performance began with the second scene where King Nala appears with a blue-black complexion after being bitten by the poisonous Karkotaka, the chief of serpents that the king had saved from a wild fire. Balasubrahmanyan’s face showcased his indignation at the serpent’s seemingly wicked act of extreme ingratitude. However, the serpent clarifies that it was intentional and not an act of thanklessness.
Nala’s identity was thereby hidden and Karkotaka’s deadly poison had already started to burn the villainous Kali, who had made Nala’s mind his abode. Heeding Karkotaka’s advice, Nala accepts the name Bahuka and sets out from the forest to the palace of Rituparna, the king of Ayodhya. That journey to the next stage of Nala’s life was narrated vividly by the veteran actor, who took care to embellish almost every point with appropriate improvisations.
Kalamandalam Balasubrahmanyan as Bahuka in Nalacharitham Day III | Photo Credit: Jawaharji K
While Balasubrahmanyan was on the stage there was not even a single moment that was dull or not in perfect harmony with the context. This was the outcome of the dexterity of his acting, coupled with him instilling vigour and vitality in his co-actors. His presentation of the plight of Nala as depicted in both the soliloquies, ‘Vijane batha’ and ‘Marimankanni’, was superb.
Towards the close of the second padam, Balasubrahmanyan sprang up suddenly from his sorrowful sitting posture and hopped like a horse, traversing the whole length and breadth of the stage. Laudably reinforced by the percussion, the move clearly brought out the change of mood the character was expected to reflect in his behaviour.
Balasubrahmanyan’s co-actors Kalamandalam Chinosh Balan, Kalamandalam Athul and Master Pranav, essaying respectively the roles of Karkotaka, Jivala and Varshneya, rose to the occasion. Athul enacted the highly truncated role of ‘fair Nala’ also prior to Bahuka’s entry.
The scene where Damayanti, the heroine, suspecting that Nala lives in Ayodhya sends a Brahmin messenger, Sudeva, to Rituparna’s court was presented superbly by Kalamandalam Anil Kumar and senior actor Mathur Govindankutty, donning the female and male characters respectively. Govindankutty performed with élan the scene delineating the messenger’s interaction with Rituparna and Bahuka in the subsequent scene also.
Vocalist Kalamandalam Jayaprasad was diligently supported by Kalavedi Jayakumar and Kalamandalam Vishnu. Kalamandalam Balasundaran (chenda) and Margi Rathnakaran and Sadanam Krishnaprasad (maddalam) provided the ambience. The programme was held under aegis of Drisyavedi.