Pavakathakali: The Saga of a Miniature Theatre

Introduction

Kathakali is arguably the most famous classical art form of Kerala. With its exceptional emotions (rasa), intuitive hand gestures (mudra), captivating attire (vesham), and sophisticated lyrical tradition (attakatha), Kathakali’s iconography still attaches itself to the public expression of Kerala’s identity. But what if this theatre’s performance aspect is stripped of its humane elements and replaced with the intriguing niche of hand puppetry? That’s the story of Pavakathakali (Puppet-Kathakali), one of the rarest indigenous art forms in Kerala.

Where and How?

The origins of hand puppetry in Kerala are obscure. Unlike other miniature art forms in the region, like Thol-pavakoothu (shadow puppetry) and Nool-pavakoothu (string puppetry), it is difficult to trace the path of a supposed ‘genre’ of  ‘Kai-pavakoothu’ (hand-puppetry) that doesn’t really exist in the regional public imagination to begin with. According to G. Venu, a scholar and a famed classical artist from Kerala, there have been instances of archaeological findings in the Palakkad region that allude to a form of hand puppetry existing there at least 400 years ago.  Interestingly, these artefacts have nothing to do with the motifs of Pavakathakali, as they seem to have had Buddhist influences in their presentation (elongated earlobes, for example).

However, the creation of Pavakathakali, specifically, is rightly attributed to a specific community in Kerala, called the Andipandaram. They have their presence in the neighbouring states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka too, but in Kerala, they are largely confined to the very same district of Palakkad that was mentioned above. The Andipandarams of Kerala seem to have their roots in Andhra Pradesh. This assumption is strengthened by the fact that they still speak a mixture of Telugu and Malayalam within their households, although they use Malayalam outside. As is their mark of identification in Tamil Nadu, Andipandarams are widely associated with the worship of Murugan (a Hindu deity). Historically, they used to indulge in ‘mobile’ rituals in houses as a part of their profession, guiding the believers in their pilgrimage to Palani, the most important Murugan shrine in the world. Emphasis on ‘a part’ because these people were active in other spheres of trade too. A minority of Andipandarams, thus, turned to hand puppetry. Initially, these performances were of Tamil dramas or epics, but by the 18^th century, the Andipandarams had tapped into the growing popularity of Kathakali and incorporated it into their skills.

The Motifs: A Remarkable Feat of Miniaturisation

As expected, Pavakathakali doesn’t feature any actual human beings adorning the costumes of the Veshams that are presented. However, the attire of the Puppets is vividly detailed, and they closely resemble their full-scale counterparts. This attempt at miniaturising an extremely expression-oriented theatre wasn’t an easy endeavour. Whatever nuances they had to compromise, the puppeteers must compensate them with an exaggeration of the rest. This was a unique challenge faced by Pavakathakali as its peers didn’t need to successfully reinterpret an already established classical art form. The entire stage of Kathakali itself was recreated, with lamps and even curtains to enhance the visuals, and the exact musical instruments (chenda, ilathalam, etc.) used during a Kathakali performance as accompaniment.

In other words, the fundamental motifs of Paavakathali, as far as the presentation was concerned, remained largely identical to Kathakali. We have Veshams like Pacha, Kathi, Kari, Thadi, Minukk, etc. to represent various characters from the Indian Epics and Puranas. One of the earliest examples of a puppet we have is a Pacha, practically an insignia of Kathakali nowadays, used to perform characters of a pious and noble nature. On the other hand, due to its impermanent nature, the stage is not a fixed structure. The performers will sit at the veranda or courtyard of the house where they are performing, with only a vilakku (a lamp) to signify the stage. Multiple Puppets (made out of wooden arms and head, stitched together on a hollow cloth bag) then appear behind the lamp, as the singers recite the story being played.

The Performance: When Fingers Act

Pavakathakali is different from most hand puppetry in the sense that the characters themselves are not voiced. Instead, the narration of the story runs in the background as the characters embody the respective emotions. This feature is carried over from Kathakali. As such, most of the stories (Attakatha) are episodes of the Mahabharata, like Duryodhana Vadham, Kalyana Sougandhikam, etc., to cite a few.

As for the Puppets, they are controlled by only three fingers. The thumb and middle finger act as the limbs, while the index finger controls the head of the Puppet. One performer may or may not control two puppets at the same time, but regardless, the stage can be occupied by more than 6 puppets at a time (in accordance with the story).

One other important aspect of the performance is its duration. Due to the make-shift nature of Pavakathakali, the performances can run for hours or sometimes even an entire night. It also depends heavily on the places and the occasions. Most of the ‘house’ performances are short, while festivals demand a longer format. This versatility was one of the many reasons why the art form was popular and well-received even amongst the seasoned Kathakali practitioners.

The Resurrection of a Legend

Although an artistic sensation during its prime, Pavakathakali demanded a set of skills that required specialised training to hone and perfect. This might’ve acted as a deterrent in a society where Kathakali itself was an art form that was complicated enough to master. While it is true that the Pavakathakali performers were appreciated for their willingness to study Kathakali and then reinterpret it in a different genre altogether, a staggering lack of practitioners outside the Andipandaram community led to its gradual decline to the point where it almost went extinct. It was in 1980, Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, the former chairman of Sangita Nataka Academy, came to know about the existence of Pavakathakali and the dire state it was in at the time. Before it was too late, the Academy undertook various scholarship programs to train a few people in the community and revive the art form. The veteran artist Venu G spearheaded the program, and it finally led to the performance of Kalyana Saugandhikam, a famous Attakatha, in this new avatar of Pavakathakali. Since then, Pavakathakali has been nourished and preserved by the artists with the help of both the State and the Central Governments, enabling several performances across India and the world.

Conclusion

The Saga of Pavakathakali is a unique chapter in the history of performance arts in Kerala. As a folk art born out of a classical parent, it was able to capture the interest of both the privileged and the underprivileged at the same time. However, while the preservation of Pavakathakali is something that has been worked upon, its propagation and presentation must also be done in a meaningful manner so as not to let it fade from our cultural memory.

References

1. Pavakathakali; World Encyclopedia of Puppetry Arts

2. The traditional puppet theatre of Kerala; G Venu, Sangeeta Nataka Academy

3. Pavakathakali; Kavita Venu, Narthaki

4. Video Reference from Kerala Tourism

5. A recent performance in Bharat Bhavan Kerala