An art form inspired by the classical dance theater Kathakali of Kerala, Pavakathakali is a glove puppet show that originated in the remote village of Palkad in the 18th century. Wearing gloves, the performers manipulate the puppets with their thumbs, index and middle fingers and tell stories, mostly from mythology. It is a puppet show performed only by men, and is one of the world’s best puppet shows, along with Peking Opera’s marionette puppet show and Japan’s Kabuki dance style Bunraku.
Pavakathakali was revived in the ’80s by Guru Gopal Venu (79), a highly respected performer and researcher of the traditional art form, who offers classes at his Nathankairali school in Thrissur district, Kerala. and breathed new life into Pavakathakali. At the Jodhpur RIFF International Roots Music Festival in Rajasthan, Natankairali performed a new work of Pavakathakali, giving a glimpse of the art form’s contemporary relevance. Venu talks about the history, crafts and art of Pavakathakali and the need to keep it alive for future generations. excerpt:
What is the origin of Pavakathakali?
Almost every living performing arts in the world has a puppet version. There is puppetry in Karnataka’s Yakshagana, as well as in Japan’s Kabuki dance drama and China’s Peking Opera. Kathakali has Pavakathakali. Puppetry imitates human theater. In the 18th century, puppet actors from Andhra region came to Kerala and made Palkad their home base. Inspired by Kathakali, they created an art form called Pavakathakali, which uses glove puppets to tell mythological stories. The same instrument as Kathakali is also a part of Pavakathakali. This art gained popularity but disappeared in the first decades of the 20th century.
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How did art make a comeback?
The revival of Pavakathakali happened thanks to Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, a freedom fighter and disciple of Mahatma Gandhi. She revived several traditional art forms when she was the president of Sangeet Natak Akademi. During a visit to Kerala in the 1970s, she was fascinated by two glove dolls she saw in a museum in Thrissur. The dolls were a remnant of the Pavakathakali tradition. One of the dolls was from the character of Bhima from Mahabharata. At that time I was a performer in Koodiyattam. We both visited many museums and began a thorough research into this art form. We also went to Parthipuri village in Palakkad district to meet Cham Pandaram, the last performer of Pavakathakali. He had some dolls, which were not beautiful, but provided some songs without stories. But we understood that within them there was a possibility of resurrection.
How difficult was the resurrection journey?
We got funding from the Sangeeta Nataka Akademi of Kerala for the revival of Pavakathakali, but no one knew how to make dolls. Akademi ended support after six months. A few years later, Chattopadhyay came back to Kerala. She insisted that I do another revival. Soon, my brother Ravi Gopalan Nar, a Kathakali artist, and I started researching and collected some dolls. Chattopadhyay saw them and said they should start a training program that I would lead. At that time, I was teaching drama at a drama school in Calicut. We have started a 20-month Pavakathakali training program at Vigyan Kala Devi Kathakali School in Chengannur, southern Kerala. The Kathakali students there were also supposed to learn Pavakathakali. Again, 20 months passed without any training. One day, Chattopadhyay called me and invited us to a Pavakathakali performance in Delhi. She said that she has only two weeks left in her term as president of Sangeet Natak Akademi and would like to perform Pavakathakali before her term ends. I managed to collect 10 dolls and worked day and night. I directed Pavakathakali’s play Kalyana Sougandikam. This is the story of Bheema who goes to the forest to find a rare flower for Draupadi. It was performed at the India International Center in Delhi in 1982. The play lasted 30 minutes. It was a big hit. Chattopadhyay, then 79 years old, stood at the entrance handing out pamphlets for the play. A year later we traveled to Poland to participate in the International Puppet Festival. There were many other tours as well. Unfortunately, after a few years everyone forgot about Pavakathakali and this art form came to an end once again.
When did you start trying to make a comeback?
It started just two years ago. We welcomed eight new students to Natankailali, a center for traditional art forms founded by me in 1975. This is the second birth for Pavakathakali. Several productions are currently being performed, including Kalyana Sugandikam, Dakshayagam, Daksha and Shiva, Bali Vadam and Duryodhana Vadam. Three months ago, we performed our first performances in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
How relevant is Pavakathakali today for new audiences?
Any art disappears if it loses its artistic relevance. Dolls do things that humans cannot do. The new generation appreciates the art form.
What are the crafts involved in making Pavakathakali dolls?
The doll is made of wood. No artificial materials such as fibers are used. Each doll is 2 feet to 2.5 feet tall. The hands and heads of Kathakali characters are carved from wood. The costumes are made similar to the Kathakali characters. Making dolls requires a deep understanding of acting.
What does the future hold for Pavakathakali?
Currently, there is no support from the state or central government to keep this art form alive. Support from Kendriya Sangeet Natak Akademi was there for several years but has been stopped. At Natankairari, we find our own funds to maintain Pavakathakali’s work. My daughter, Kapila Venu, a supporter of Koodiyattam, donates the money she earns from tours to maintain the works of Pavakathakali.
Author Faizal Khan is a freelancer.
