July 17, 2013: Santhanagopalam Kathakali, organised by Palakkad Kathakali Trust for its monthly second Saturday programme at M.D. Ramanathan Hall, Palakkad, is one of the most popular ‘attakadhas’ in the Kathakali repertoire.

The story starts with Arjuna visiting Lord Krishna in Dwaraka and while they are exchanging pleasantries, an old Brahmin rushes in with the body of his ninth child. All his nine children have died soon after birth and he accuses Lord Krishna for his plight. But Krishna refuses to acknowledge the Brahmin and walks off without consoling him. Arjuna feels bad that neither Krishna nor any of the courtiers had a word to pacify the old man.

In his chivalry, he promises to protect the Brahmin’s next child. He boasts that he is the great Arjuna who has all the blessings from the Gods, and if by any chance he is not able to save the child, he will take his life by jumping into fire.

Pacified, the Brahmin goes back. Next, when his wife is pregnant and is about to deliver, he meets Arjuna and requests him to keep the word. Arjuna creates a special protective environment with his arrows while the midwife is busy attending to the birth. Then comes the worst. The midwife announces that this time even the dead body of the newborn is missing. Agitated, the Brahmin goes wild on Arjuna. Arjuna’s ego got the worst beating and he prepares to take his life by jumping into fire. The highlight of the play was the performance of Kalamandalam K.G. Vasudevan who lived the character of the Brahmin. Ettumanoor Kannan as Arjuna and Roshini Pillai as Krishna gave remarkable support and Sadanam Suresh played the Brahmin’s wife and Kalamandam Arun the midwife. Nedumbully Rammohan and Sadanam Jyothish Babu gave excellent vocal support accompanied by Kalamandalam Venugopal on the Chenda and Kalamandalam Nataraja Warier on the Maddalam.

G. Prabhakaran

Source: The Hindu, DT. July 17, 2013.