Lokadharmi

Kerala
Lokadharmi stages new play

The Lokadharmi Centre for Theatre Training Research and Performance is celebrating its 15th year of theatre activities with a play based on a Malayalam novel written by the late N. Mohanan. The play, `Innalathe Mazha,' which shares the name of the novel, narrates the story of `Parayi Pettu Panthirukulam,' a popular legend of Kerala. The legend recounts the life of 12 sons born to Vararuchi, a Brahmin priest, and his wife. Panchami belonged to the Paraya community. Mohanan's novel presents the legend in a different perspective. The play, written and directed by Ullas Mavilayil portrays the legend highlighting the personality of Panchami. Sumesh Chittooran plays Vararuchi, while Charu Narayan dons the role of Panchami. The play will be staged on October 23 at Changampuzha Park, Edappally.

Renu Ramanath

(The Hindu, Wednesday, October 11, 2006)

Seaspn of exhibitions

Kerala

Season of exhibitions

It is exhibition time in Kochi. The Durbar Hall Art Centre is the venue for many of the painting displays. The vast space of the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi, with two galleries on the ground floor, has been hosting exhibitions continuously.

A mega group exhibition, in which 29 artists from all over the State participated, was organised at the art centre by the Kerala Chithrakala Parishath. The show, the parishath's fourth State-level exhibition, concluded on Monday.
In another group show, a few women based in the city put up their works at the art centre last week.

Nottam-06, an exhibition of select news photographs by press photographers in the city, was organised by the Ernakulam Press Club on the ground floor of its building. The show will conclude on Tuesday.

At the art centre, two exhibitions are opening on Tuesday. The show by Hareendran Chalad and Vidya Ranjith will be inaugurated by the senior artist C.N. Karunakaran.

Renu Ramanath

(The Hindu, Tuesday, October 10, 2006)

Sunitha Menon

Kerala - Kochi
A life dedicated to Bharatanatyam

She literally wandered into the arena of dance, but she never knew that the casual encounter was to become a lifetime vocation.

Sunita Menon, young Bharatanatyam dancer based in Delhi, had gone to the Rukmini Devi Lalit Kala Kendra in Delhi at the age of seven for painting classes.

One day, she happened to walk into one of the Bharatanatyam classes. The teacher, Guru Sujata Dinesh, at the Kala Kendra insisted that she join the dance classes.

The encounter may have been pure chance, but as she grew up, Sunita realised that her true vocation in life was in the avenues of dance.

From a young age, she started giving performances winning accolades wherever she went.

A graduate from Delhi University, Sunita is also a double diploma holder in Bharatanatyam in both the Pandanelloor and Kalakshethra styles.

Living at Rohini in New Delhi, she completed her senior diploma in Bharatanatyam from the Prayag Sangeet Samiti, Allahabad.

In 1998, she joined the Shriram Bharathiya Kala Kendra in Delhi under the American Bharatanatyam dancer Justin McCarthy and took a diploma in the Kalakshethra style.

In 1999, she got a two-year scholarship from the Ministry of Culture.

She participated in all the leading dance drama productions made by Justin McCarthy. `Kaladarppanam', institution for Bharatanatyam she opened in 1998, at present has around 40 students.

Sunita recently fulfilled one of her long cherished dreams last week when she performed at the conclusion of the Navarathri Dance and Music Festival at Panachikkadu Temple in Kottayam district, popularly known as Dakshina Mookambika.

Renu Ramanath

(The Hindu, Friday, October 06, 2006)

Madhubani Paintings

Kerala - Kochi
Workshop on Madhubani painting

A traditional style of painting by women of Madhubani, north of Dharbhanga, in Bihar has won national and international acclaim. Madhubani painting, having been practised for centuries to decorate mud walls of huts in the region, is part of their daily life and rituals.

A workshop on it will be held in the city on Wednesday. Devendra Kumar Jha, an artist from Madhubani, will give a demonstration and a lecture on the art.

The painting style shot into prominence in the 1960s, when the All-India Handicrafts Board encouraged the women artists to reproduce their traditional skill for finding a non-agricultural income for their families, as Madhubani was struck by drought. The economic crisis launched the paintings and the hitherto anonymous artists into prominence.

Since then, this skill has become a primary source of income for scores of families in this area.

Also known as Mithila paintings, as this area forms the heart of Mithilanchal, this art is said to date back to the times of the Ramayana, when, it is believed, Janaka, who ruled Mithila, had artists make paintings on the occasion of the marriage of his daughter Sita to Rama.

Madhubani paintings mostly depict nature or mythological events, and the themes generally revolve around deities such as Krishna, Rama, Siva, Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati. Sun, moon, plants of religious significance such as tulsi and others are widely painted. Social and royal scenes are also depicted often.

Details of the workshop may be had from the Indian School of Arts, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Ravipuram, Kochi - 15 (ph: 235 8943, 301 2145).

Renu Ramanath

(The Hindu, Wednesday, September 20, 2006)

'Draupadi' in Nangiarkoothu

Kerala - Kochi
Recreating Draupadi's saga

Work draws inspiration from unexplored areas of classical Sanskrit theatre

These days, Koodiyattom artistes are presenting a good number of innovative works.

They are opening up hitherto unexplored areas of the classical Sanskrit theatre form and do not want to be confined to age-old creations.

The choreography of the story of Draupadi by Usha Nangiar, Koodiyattom and Nangiarkoothu artiste, had got critical acclaim.

The story of the wife of the five Pandava princes had not been told in Koodiyattom so far.

Usha Nangiar had choreographed the play, drawing upon classical Sanskrit plays.

The play 'Venisamharam,' by Bhattanarayanan portrays the character of Draupadi in detail. Usha Nangiar has taken Act 1 from this play for evolving this performance.

Composed as a Nangiarkoothu performance for three days, it delineates Draupadi's saga from her wedding to the princes, the insults she had to face from the Kauravas and the completion of her revenge.

Draupadi, a production of Chathakkudam Krishnan Nambiar, Mizhavu Kalari, Chathakkudam, Thrissur district, will be presented at Kalikotta Palace in a three-day performance from Sunday.

The event is being organised by the International Centre for Koodiyattom, Thripunithura.

Usha Nangiar will be accompanied by V.K.K. Hariharan on the mizhavu.

The performance will be preceded by the release of a book, Laghusamskritham, written by K.G. Paulose, former Registrar of the Sree Sankara University of Sanskrit, Kalady. The book, to help the common man learn the rudiments of Sanskrit, will be released by the literary critic Sukumar Azhikode, who will deliver a lecture on Indian culture.

Dr. Paulose will give an introduction to the performance.

The first part, 'Swayamvaram,' will be performed on Sunday, followed by 'Vasthrakshepam,' on Monday and 'Prathikaram,' on Tuesday.

Renu Ramanath

(The Hindu, Tuesday, September 19, 2006)

'Manthrankam'

Kerala - Kochi
Documenting Koodiyattom

The ancient theatre form of 'Koodiyattam' has many treasures in its repertoire. Many of these portions have more or less an academic nature, rather than creating a direct aesthetic experience for the viewers. 'Manthrankam' is one such part that is rich in complicated layers of meaning and textual portions.

Basically the Third Act of the classical Sanskrit play 'Prathinja Yougandharayanam' by the Sanskrit dramatist Bhasa, 'Manthrankam,' has been taken out of the main text and elaborated into a 41-day-long performance that stresses more on the oral style of acting ('Vaachikabhinaya'). The text, with multi-layered meanings, is more or less a discourse on 'Rajathanthra' and 'Rajaneethi,' nuances of administrative and political stratagems. Even though Koodiyattam enjoys a wide range of popularity, especially among an international audience of theatre scholars and enthusiasts, portions like 'Manthrankam' still remain a little bit out of range for the average viewers.

Nepatya Centre for Koodiyattam, based in Moozhikkulam, has undertaken the task of presenting the complete portion of 'Manthrankam,' as monthly performances with the aim of visual documentation. It will be presented by the noted Koodiyattam artiste Margi Madhu, who had earlier presented 'Manthrankam,' at Thripunithura a couple of years ago.

'Manthrankam' can basically be considered an exercise to teach 'Vaachikabhinaya' to students of Koodiyattam, just like 'Anguleeyankam,' is considered an exercise for acting, says Mr. Madhu.

The performance at the Nepatya Kalari at Moozhikkulam started in August. The second part of `Manthrankam,' will be performed on Sunday evening.

Nepatya is planning to document the entire performance on DVD. It has also released a DVD of the performance of the sloka beginning, 'Himakaram... .,' from 'Asokavanikankam,' with English subtitles.

Renu Ramanath
(The Hindu, Wednesday, September 13, 2006)

Hudco Retendering

Kerala - Kochi

Hudco Project: re-tendering process on

Staff Reporter

KOCHI: The re-tendering of the pipe-laying work from Kathrikkadavu to Konthuruthy for the Ad hoc Water Supply Augmentation Scheme (Hudco Project) is now being processed.

The work of laying pipes for the much-awaited Hudco Project should be completed for increasing the pumping capacity to the water-starved areas of West Kochi. The cancellation of the tender earlier given to the FACT Engineering Works (FEW) sparked controversies. The cancelled works included laying of 840 meters of 1,200 mm MS pipeline from Kathrikkadavu to Elamkulam underground sump and 5,105 m of 1,200 mm MS pipeline from Elamkulam to Konthuruthy in West Kochi.

The works were re-tendered in three reaches, instead of the two reaches in the earlier tender. The tenders were opened and being processed. The FEW was reported to have come as the lowest bidder only in one reach. In the other two reaches, it was reported to be the third lowest bidder only.

The public sector unit was almost on the verge of losing the bid.

The Kerala Water Authority Employees' Association, the Congress-led union of the KWA staff, registered its protest against the re-tendering. The KWA management said the work was re-tendered, as the FEW could not complete the work on time. However, the FEW said the delay was caused not because of their fault, but due to the delay in obtaining permission for cutting the roads. The FEW also demanded increased charges from the KWA citing the delay caused the costs to increase.

The laying of pipes for 1,735 m from Samskara Junction to Kathrikkadavu was successfully completed by the FEW.

This work was part of the first phase and the fourth phase of laying 4,280 m of pipeline. Only the laying of 5,955 m of pipelines from Kathrikkadavu to Konthuruthy, a part of the second and third phases of the project, remained to be completed.

Unless the re-tendering process was completed, the hopes of the West Kochi residents for getting the promised water of 25 MLD (million litre per day) when the Hudco project was completed would remain unfulfilled.

(The Hindu - Friday, September 08, 2006)

Chowara Scheme

Kerala - Kochi
Water conservation measures soon: Minister

Staff Reporter

Paravur water supply augmentation scheme commissioned

KOCHI: The State Government will introduce comprehensive water resource conservation measures, said Minister for Water Resources N.K. Premachandran.

Speaking after commissioning the Paravur Water Supply Augmentation Scheme (Chowara project) for North Paravur and adjacent panchayats of the Kerala Water Authority (KWA), Mr. Premachandran said the schemes would address the water shortage in the State.

The water conservation measures will also look into issues such as lowering water table, protection of water sources and rainwater harvesting, he said.

The Minister also announced that a pump house and overhead tank would be constructed to ensure the supply of water in pipelines in the areas that will benefit from the project.

The KWA had earlier lifted the ban on water connections in Paravur and adjoining areas in view of completion of the project.

The Authority plans to give at least 32,000 connections following the commissioning of the project. Of this, nearly 14,000 connections will be given in the domestic sector.

Fisheries Minister S. Sarma; V.D. Satheesan, MLA; M.K. Purushothaman, MLA; district panchayat president P.S. Shyla; and Paravur municipal chairman N.A. Ali were among those who attended the function.

The project is expected to bring potable water to more than 3 lakh residents of North Paravur Municipality and eight surrounding panchayats.

The authorities plan to supply an additional quantity of 68 million litres of water a day through the project.

The total cost of the project is estimated to be Rs. 56.144 crore. The laying of pipelines for water transmission was completed at a cost of Rs. 36 crore.
(The Hindu, Monday, September 05, 2006)

'Bhargavi Nilayam'

Kerala - Kochi
MACTA to remake 'Bhargavi Nilayam'

'Bhargavi Nilayam,' the Malayalam classic by Vaikom Mohammed Basheer and A. Vincent, took Kerala by storm in 1964.

The ghost story was set against the backdrop of the tragic love affair of Bhargavikutty and Sasikumar.

'Bhargavi Nilayam' gave Malayalis some of the most exquisite songs.

The film, starring Madhu, Prem Nazir, P.J. Antony and Vijaya Nirmala, was a landmark of sorts. It was also a box-office hit. Four decades later, the Malayalam Cine Technicians' Association (MACTA) is toying with the idea of remaking the film in a new format.

However, it will not be an exact 'remake' of the old one, says director Vinayan, chairman of MACTA and general secretary of the MACTA Federation.

The directors plan to make a film based on 'Neela Velicham,' a short story on which Vaikkom Mohammed Basheer based his vibrant script.

The new film will be directed by seven directors- Kamal, Vinayan, Joshy, Shaji Kailas, Siddique, Priyadarsan and Fazil.

The script will be penned by director Siddique and John Paul. The cast will include either Mammootty or Mohanlal donning the role of the novelist, portrayed by Madhu in the original version.

The roles of Sasikumar and Bhargavikutty, immortalised by Prem Nazir and Vijaya Nirmala, will be performed by newcomers.
Renu Ramanath
(The Hindu, Monday, September 04, 2006)