JULIUS CAESAR AS' CHARUDATTAM KATHAKALI
G. Prabhakaran
Indian mythological stories or ancient literature do not have tragedies and hence Kathakali plays too do not have them either, except the story of Karna and Baali from the Mahabharat and the Ramayana respectively. But Western literature has them in plenty. Shakespearian play ‘Julius Caesar' is a popular one among them. This has been adapted for Kathakali by Sadanam Harikumar with appropriate changes without affecting the grammar of Kathakali. Choreographed by Sadanam team led by Harikumar, the Kathakali version with title ‘Charudattam' has been staged many times in India and abroad. This appears to be well conceived and received in the past.The edited version of the play was presented by Sadanam Academy in N.S.S. College, Nenmara, under the auspicious of a UGC seminar, on March 14.
The play starts with return of Julius Caesar after successful military campaigns. He greets Brutus, Antony and others presenting gifts to each of them. He expresses his aversion for Cassius and retires for the day.
Cunning Cassius together with Casca and Cinna succeeds in convincing a righteous Brutus that Julius will be a dictator and it is necessary to kill him and they decide to do away with him before his installation.
Next day Calpurnia, wife of Julius, had a nightmare that he had a bloody end bitten by snakes. She requests him not to go for his installation on that day. Goaded by Casca and afraid of being called a coward, Julius goes to the ceremony.
He is stabbed first by Cinna followed by Casca, Cassius and finally Brutus. He fall dead expressing utter disbelief that even Brutus joined the wicked crowd.Antony comes running to the scene. Brutus prevents Cassius from murdering him. Antony laments that he lost his best friend.
He then makes the famous speech telling the public that such a good ruler, who bequeathed all gains from the conquest to them, has been murdered.
He urges the furious public to take revenge and arms them for the purpose. Fugitive conspirators escape to the mountains. A contemptuous Cassius spurns request for funds from Brutus, but finally concedes, restoring their relationship.Antony and Octavius come in search of them and there are angry exchanges and challenges. They decide to meet in the battlefield. Cinna and Casca, who were hiding, attack Antony and Octavius but are caught and tied up. Watching this from his perch on a hillock and being in a hopeless situation, Cassius commits suicide by the same sword that he used for stabbing Caesar.
Brutus enters the scene and seeing the event, follows suit, ending the play. E. Somanath, a Kathakali critic, said that the new techniques, stagecraft, costume and makeup have been used as welcome innovations. Songs have been well-written in simple language.Names of the characters have been Indianised, perhaps for the sake of songs as also for local popularity, quite unnecessarily.The most important scene of death of Julius was well-conceived, a stunned silence by him looking at Brutus in disbelief, with a finger pointed at him.
Sadanam Suresh as Caesar, Manikantan as Brutus, Krishnadas as Cassius, Kalanilayam Balakrishnan as Antony, Sadanam Vighnesh as Casca as also messenger, Sadanandan as Octavius, Vishnuprasad as Cinna and Sreenath as Kalpurnia, all gave good performances, showing excellent teamwork. Poignancy of dramatic situations was well-brought out, Mr. Somanath said. Sadanam Harikumar and Jyothishbabu rendered soulful music with all the bhava.Sadanam Ramakrishnan and Jithin on the Chenda with Devadas and Aravind on the Maddalam did a good job as percussionists, he said.
Prof. John Kurakar
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