Reflecting the traditions of society

Fantastic Folk

The audiences at the Rangashankara were treated to some traditional folk art from Northern Kerala called Theyyam infused within a play called Theyya Theyyam. The show was presented by the Sopanam Institute of Performing Arts under the leadership of Padma Bhushan recipient Kavalam Narayan Pannikar. Theyyam is a folk art which is a combination of theatre, music and dance.

It can be compared to the Bangalore karga where a commoner is elevated to the status of God. In Theyyam too, a dead war hero becomes god and predicts the future. It is believed that during his visit to Kasargod, Kavalam Narayan Pannikar heard the story of a Theyyam artiste in Adi Chamundi Temple and was motivated to write a script based on that. The 82-year-old man was seen backstage, aiding the artistes.

“It wasn't really possible to get the real Theyyam here but this play will give the audience a feel of the ritualistic art,” said Arundathi Nag, addressing the audience before the play.
The fascinating play spoke of the changing views of the society on what is right and wrong. The play asked profound questions on how a society can be manipulated to meet our needs. The plot of the play had two distinct narratives, which merge in the end.

The first narrative was a layman’s interpretation of the Ramayana and had villagers playing the characters of Ram, Lakshman, Sita, Raavan and Hanuman, while the second narrative spoke of the life of a villager Ramunni, who played the villain Paranki or Raavan in the Theyyam.

The abduction of Sita in the Theyyam is similar to Ramunni avenging his girlfriend Kannipoo's attempted rape by a landlord. He kills the local landlord and runs away with her just as Raavan abducts Sita.  Two other characters — Salguni, Kannipoo's father and a lady claiming to be Ramunni's mother — are introduced. They mainly represent the moral dilemma of the society in figuring out whether Ramunni is a good or a bad man. Towards the end as Hanuman saves Sita from the clutches of Paranki, the angry mob beats Ramunni to death, when he returns to perform the Theyyam.

The play derived the name Theyya Theyyam as the plot had a Theyyam within a Theyyam. It was very artistically presented with basic steps of Mohiniattam and other traditional dance forms. Visually, it was a treat to the eyes. The other highlights of the play were the costumes. With live music to complement the performances, Theyya Theyyam was folk theatre at its best and enchanted the audiences with a simple message that we are mere pawns in the society and have ever changing opinions about what is right and wrong.