Kathakali artiste starts online classes to entertain art lovers

Kollam: Kalamandalam Rajeevan Namboothiri, a Kathakali performer and son of legendary Kathakali maestro Mayyanad Keshavan Namboothiri started an innovative online class when the artistic lights and makeup of Kathakali went out due to the pandemic restrictions. This artiste has showed us the best way to enjoy Kathakali professionally.

The goal is to develop art enthusiasts and audiences who are dwindling nowadays. Kollam district has the largest number of venues for Kathakali in the state as part of the religious offerings and rituals followed traditionally.

But the declining number of spectators in front of the theatres disappointed Rajeevan Namboothiri, who has been playing the characters of ‘Pacha’ and ‘Kathi’ on the stage for more than 40 years.

'Art should not extinct in the land of Kottarakkara Thampuran who is one of the earliest legends in Kathakali. The online classes have been started with the encouragement of my dear classmate Kalamandalam Ravikumar, Ajith Kumar and Harish” said Rajeevan Namboothiri.

“An announcement about the online classes was given on social media. Surprisingly, more than a hundred phone calls came. The online class started in three batches of 30 people each with only one class per week. For this, a small studio was set up at home,” he explained.

Although the event was a success, Rajeev Namboothiri was a little disappointed. There is a shortage of participants from Kollam district. Most of them are from the Palakkad district. Among them, most of them are ‘retired’ people.

The classes start with the basic lessons on ‘Mudra’ (hand gestures). The classes are taught by comparing real-life examples and hand gestures. Earlier, he had conducted classes on Kathakali at the Puthiyakavu Devi Temple. But the classes were stopped following the lockdown.

When the online class started, there were participants from 9 years to 75 years old.

'If you start enjoying, everyone will enjoy Kathakali. This class is a humble attempt at that. Also, it is a way to survive in times of the pandemic as well’ added Rajeevan Namboothiri.