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Multi-pronged study on Thullal

G. S. PAUL

A two-day workshop on Thullal dwelt on the many dimensions of the art form. Different kinds of Thullal were also staged on the occasion.

A two-day workshop on Thullal, organised by Kerala Kalamandalam Deemed University for Art and Culture, became memorable owing to novel performances, incisive discussions and active participation by many leading artistes.

Thullal was introduced in Kalamandalam at the behest of Jawaharlal Nehru who was fascinated by the simplicity and narrative technique of the art form during a performance at Kalamandalam. Under the guidance of Malabar Raman Nair and K.S. Divakaran Nair, the art form was streamlined and it eventually resulted in the Kalamandalam sailee (style).

“We had planned a multi-pronged study of the art form, perhaps the first attempt in the six-decade history of the department,” explained Kalamandalam Geethanandan, head of the department and organiser of the two-day workshop.

The sessions on the first day were proof enough of this. Indigenous rhythms such as Marma thalam, Kumbha thalam, Lakshmi thalam, Kundanchi thalam and so on were discussed and studied at length during the seminar. Kadammanitta Vasudevan Pillai’s lecture-demonstration on the rhythms was exhaustive.
Music of Thullal

A separate seminar on the same day deliberated on the music of Thullal. ‘Thullal pada kutcheri’ was staged, perhaps, for the first time.

“True, it is not a novel attempt to present the musical part of a visual performing art in a concert,” admitted Geethanandan.

The attempt was to highlight the unique qualities of Kunchan Nambiar’s music, he explained.

Assisted by his colleague Kalamandalam Mohana Krishnan, Geethanandan enthralled the audience in the koothampalam of Kalamandalam with familiar padams from stories such as the Pathracharitam, Kiratham, Santhanagopalam, Panchaliswayamvaram and so on in 16 ragas.

Worth mentioning was the style of rendition in the intrinsic style of Thullal, in which only the contours of the ragas were discernible. This retained the essential folk nature of the art form.
Performances

‘Kurathiyattam,’ directed by K.P. Nandipulam, was the highlight on the second day. Kuravan and Kurathy are characters in many a folk play and are believed to be Siva and Parvathy in disguise.

An outstanding Thullal artiste, Nandipulam had introduced many episodes culled from folk stories such as the conversation between Cheeta and Thampuratti that threw light on the social practises of yesteryear. The workshop witnessed varieties of Thullal.

While Kalamandalam Prabhakaran staged ‘Seethankan Thullal,’ Killikkurissimangalam Sankaranarayanan presented ‘Parayan Thullal.’ Senior artistes Kalamandalam Devaki and Vatamon Devaki presented Ottan Thullal along with Kongad Achuta Pisharody, Kuttamath Janardanan and Vayalar Krishnankutty.