Kozhikode, July 22, 2013: The Thodayam Kathakali Yogam, Kozhikode, is organising ‘Aattathrayodyatham’, a three-day Kathakali festival as part of the ‘Rajathotsavam’, its silver jubilee celebrations being held in September.

Vice-Chancellor of Thunchathezhuthachan Malayalam University K. Jayakumar will inaugurate the festival at 9 a.m. on September 29 at Padmasree Kalyana Mandapam in Thali.

Historian M.G.S. Narayanan will inaugurate a photo exhibition on Kathakali by P. Jyothish at 10.30 a.m. A seminar series titled ‘Changes in Kathakali in 50 years’ will kick off later, in which T.S. Madhavan Kutty will speak on the changes on stage while Dr. Radhakrishnan will speak on Pattikamthodi Kalari.

Later, there will be a talk on ‘Nalan- bhavavishkarasadhyathakal’ by Ettumanoor P. Kannan. The documentary ‘Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair’ directed by Adoor Gopalakrishnan will be screened at 4.30 p.m. followed by a Kathakali performance ‘Rukmini swayamvaram’ at 6 p.m.

Poet and dramatist Kavalam Narayana Panikker will inaugurate the second day of the ‘Aattathrayodyatham’ at 10 a.m. As part of the seminar series, there will be talk on changes in Kathakali music by V. Kaladharan and Veliinezhi Achuthan Kutty. Kavil Ajayan Marar will deliver a recital of Idakka in the afternoon.

A documentary on Mohiniyattam by Adoor Gopalakrishnan will be screened at 4.30 p.m. Noted Carnatic vocalists Sreevalsan J. Menon, Kottakkal Madhu, and Ambalappuzha Vijayakumar, will take part in the musical nite later.

K.C. Narayanan and N.P. Vijayakrishnan will speak on changes in Kathakali musical instruments as part of the seminar series at 10 a.m. on the third day of the festival. There will be a discussion on ‘thalam’ and bhavam’ later and talk on the same by Kalamandalam Unnikrishnan. Documentary on Kalamandalam Gopi by Adoor Gopalakrishnan will be screened later.

Noted film-maker Adoor Gopalakrishnan will inaugurate the valedictory function of the festival at 6 p.m. Actor Nedumudi Venu will be the chief guest on the occasion. Vice-Chancellor of Kerala Kalamandalam P.N. Suresh will give away the Thodayam awards on the occasion to Madavoor Vasudevan Nair and Keshavan Kundalayar for Vesham, Kalamandalam Balaraman for Chenda, and Appunni Tharakan for Aniyara.

The function will be followed by Kathakali performance throughout the night in which ‘Poothanamoksham’, ‘Nalacharitam randam divasam’, and ‘Narakasuravadham’ will be staged.

As part of the silver jubilee celebrations, Thodayam is planning to organise a variety of other programmes such as seminars, talks, lecture demonstrations, Cholliyattam, Mizhavu thayambaka, Mohiniyattam, and Koodiyattam. The celebrations will conclude with a seven-day festival ‘Aattasapthakam ’ in September 2014.

Source: The Hindu, DT. July 22, 2013.