TRIPUNITHURA: By breaking all norms regarding the staging of a play, like the duration, timing and even the character concept, the 20- member troupe of the Sree Bhadra Mudiyettu Sangham, Thirumarayoor, has once again proved the impact of timeless ritualistic dance form, Mudiyettu.The staging was as part of the Thalappoli (annual festival) of Adampilly Kavu Bhagavathy Temple here on Saturday night. The most interesting elements of the night-long medley of dance, music, rhythm in tune with the rituals were the active participation of the viewers and also the dynamism shown by the performers in persuading the devotees to join them.The stage set for the performance was the temple compound and the backdrop was the pitch dark of the night. The serene atmosphere created by the actors conveyed the devout mood. The Keli and a miniature form of thayambaka gave an apt beginning to the show. After the formal interaction scene with Lord Siva and Saint Narada, it was the fearsome entry of Daarikan, the evil character in the play. By rushing into the midst of the crowd, Kumarapuram Ratheesh, the actor, evoked a pulsating mood among the viewers. The most serene moment in the play was the adorning of the headgear by the main the actor Panambukadu Premraj as Kaali when the divine spirit merged with the artistic skill. The headgear, carved out of a unique wooden block, was taken to the sanctum sanctorum where temple melsanthi Kannappilly Mana Narayanan Battathiripad performed special poojas on the headgear before it was handed over to the main actor. With the help of two assistants the actor fixed the headgear on his head.The hair of the central character Kaali is symbolically attached to the headgear with coconut palm leaves.This was followed by the royal procession of the central character Kaali with subtle beauty and sanctity. To add pulsating mood to the atmosphere, melam, with the special impact of kombu, accompanied the Kaali’s procession. Here also the actor ran into the crowd which was well enjoyed by the gathering.The ancient Malayalam language used by Koimbada Nair and the comic elements, Kooli was well received by the audience. Thirumarayoor Vijayan marar headed the team in which Karukappilly Praveen assumed the roles of Lord Siva and Kooli, Puthencruz Mahesh as Koimbada Nair and Kaattukambal Unnikrishnan as Narada.The singing style of the playback singers was similar to that of the rendering of Kalam Paattu and other folk songs of Kerala. The headgear used by the central character Kaali has a unique sanctity and this was handled with utmost care with a devout mind.
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