Kerala Tourism | Kathakali | Art form of Kerala

Kathakali – a dance drama and spectacular art form of Kerala

Art form of Kerala, dance drama, Kathakali, Kathakali characters, Kathakali meaning, Kathakali performance, Kathaklai costumes, Make-up of Kathakali, Music of Kathakali, themes of the Kathakali

Originated over 500 years ago, Kathakali is a spectacular art form of Kerala. It is a combination of drama, dance, music and ritual hence Kathakali can be called as a Dance Drama. Kathakali is one of the oldest theatre forms in the world. The word ‘Katha’ in Malayalam means Story and ‘kali’ means Play. Thus Kathakali literally means ‘Story-Play’ or enacted play.

The special characteristic of the art form of Kathakali is its elaborate and heavy, colorful costumes. This has now even been used an icon of Kerala itself. The brightly painted faces of the actors are for most people the image of Kerala.

Attractive make-up of characters, elaborate costumes, detailed gestures and well-defined body movements presented in tune with the anchor playback music and complementary percussion.

A Kathakali performance is a major social event. They generally start at dusk and go through out the night. Kathakali is usually performed only by men. Female characters are portrayed by men dressed in women’s costume. However, in recent years, women have started to become Kathakali dancers. The actors rely very heavily on hand gesture to convey the story. These hand gestures, known as Kathakali mudra,

The themes of the Kathakali are religious in nature. They typically deal with the Mahabarata, the Ramayana and the ancient scriptures known as the Puranas.

Make-up of Kathakali – Elaborate make- up heightens dramatic effects in Kathakali performance. The green colour in face make up represents godliness, white represents spirituality. Red represents violence. Black reveals evil. Yellow represents the combined character of godliness and violence. Thus Kathakali characters are grouped into five major role-types, each having a specific make-up and costume.

Kathakali characters are grouped into five major role-types, each having a specific make-up and costume. These role types are Minukku, Paccha, Katti,taadi (has three varieties like: Velupputaadi, Chuvannataadi and Karupputtadi) and Kari.

Music of Kathakali – Kathakali use of instruments such as chenda, idakka, and shuddha madalam. The style of singing particular to Kathakali is called Sopaanam.

Kathakali recitals are generally long and performed in the temple courtyards of Kerala. The Kathakali artists use their stunning costumes and make-up, with the accompaniment of drums and vocalists, to create various moods and emotions.