The Attavilakku, the lamp used during Kathakali performances, was not lit for six months anywhere in the State.
This was the largest gap in the history of the art form and the repercussions were tragic.
And when it was rekindled by the end of June 2020, it marked a new beginning for the art form that brought name and fame besides tourists to Kerala.
The first ever online live performance of Kathakali was hosted by Kozhikode-based Thodayam Kathakali Yogam.
‘Duryodhana Vadham,’ performed by artistes, including Kottakkal Devadas and Kalamandalam Hari R. Nair, on June 28 was viewed by over 15,000 people on Facebook.
Main performers
It was just a beginning. The path pointed out by Thodayam was later adapted by patrons of Kathakali across the State, as a result of which several online performances were streamed on social media platforms and YouTube over the last three months. These include ‘Kalyana Sougandhikam’ at Paliyekkara, Ernakulam; ‘Kirmeeravadham’ by Vazhenkada Kunju Nair Memorial Trust, Karalmanna, ‘Poothanamoksham’ by Gandhi Seva Sadanam, Perur, ‘Purappadu’ at Killikkurissimangalam, all in Palakkad; ‘Seetha Swayamvaram’ at Thiruvalla, Pathanamthitta, and ‘Rugmangada Charitham’ at Cheruthuruthy, Thrissur, and a dozen other performances.
‘Give them stages’
During and soon after the lockdown, the Kathakali artistes, allied performers and backstage artistes were facing loss of livelihood. The patronising organisations tried to support them through financial aid.
“These artistes are very proud and do not want to accept such help. So the best way to support them was to provide them stages and to remunerate them for the performances,” said Sreejith Menon, secretary of Thodayam Kathakali Yogam, which later on organised a seven-hour-long performance of ‘Nalacharitham 2nd Day.’ The Nalacharitham performance was based on the lyrics by veteran artiste Kalamandalam Gopi. It was watched live by over 10,000 enthusiasts. “We are proud that we could revive the Kathakali stages in such a period of crisis. We are exploring newer ways to reach out to our audiences,” Mr. Menon added.