Keralam troupe showcases Paava Kathakali in Tiruchi

A performance of Paava Kathakali, a traditional glove puppet theatre art from Keralam by K.C. Ramakrishnan and troupe, was among the folk traditions in focus at the regional convention organised by SPIC-MACAY at Shrimati Indira Gandhi College in Tiruchi on Sunday.

The art form uses puppets (Paava) made with wood and fabric to narrate stories from the epics, in a tradition similar to Kathakali.

“Paava Kathakali came into its own in the 18th century, when puppeteers from the Andipandaram community in the Palakkad region used glove puppets to stage stories for children and women in home-based performances of Kathakali. At the time, Kathakali was already popular in Keralam. However, over time, puppetry lost out to other forms of entertainment. Today, ours is the only group of Paava Kathakali performers left,” Sreenivas Kunnambath, a member of the troupe and a senior puppeteer, told The Hindu on Sunday.

The troupe presented the plays Kalyana Saugandhikam and Duryodhana Vadham at the hour-long show on Sunday.

“Unlike string puppetry, the puppeteers are fully visible when they stage Paava Kathakali plays. We need to train our thumbs, middle and index fingers to manipulate the puppets, which weigh between four to five kilos,” said Mr. Sreenivas. A chenda (drum), gong, conch and cymbals accompany one or two vocalists to provide the musical backdrop to their stories. Sound effects from the puppeteers add energy to the narration.

The puppets are 40-60 cm tall and are adorned with fine and gilded ornaments. “The dolls in our collection are over 40 years old. New puppets cost more than ₹40,000. So, we patch and reuse the old stock for as long as possible,” Mr. Sreenivas said.

Earlier, the troupe held a lecture-demonstration for students to introduce them to Paava Kathakali. Besides Mr. Ramakrishnan and Sreenivas, the group consists of A.K. Haridas (costume maker and puppeteer), M. Ramakrishnan (singer), and P. Unnikrishnan (drummer). They rely on other jobs to sustain themselves.

“Young people are reluctant to take up this art form because it does not pay well. We hope such interactions will help us to preserve Paava Kathakali for posterity,” said Mr. Sreenivas.

Sunday’s programme at SIGC included an Odissi dance recital by Leena Mohanty and vocal concert by Vijay Siva.

The SPIC MACAY convention will conclude on Monday with a presentation by ‘Pannisai’ exponent Tiruttani Swaminathan Odhuvar.