Stopping by the
Nature took centre stage at the ‘Ragas by the River’ festival held amidst the wilderness of Jim Corbett National Park Onkara,
nkara, a film about the Mavilan community, — an obscure tribe of Kerala and their love for theyyam, a ritualistic dance form of the state, was recently screened at the 15th edition of the Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFES). The tribe of hunters, gatherers, and herbalists regard theyyam as sacred.
According to Unni KR, director of the film, their life revolves around this dance form. “Everything is connected to theyyam. And that’s what I have tried to show.”
Onkara reminds of the blockbuster Kannada film Kantara as far the theme is concerned. Both deal with theyyam, but the portrayal in Onkara is subtle.
Onkara is reportedly the first film in Markodi, a dialect of the Tulu language, which doesn’t have a script.
The film follows the life of Karumban, a theyyam artiste and the son of Chinkam, the village head. Chinkam in Markodi means lion, and Chinkam leads the Mavilan community, akin to the king of the jungle. Karumban wants to follow in the footsteps of his father and become the next Chinkam. He leads a life of poverty.
Oindustani vocalist Kaushiki Chakraborty was thrilled about sighting tigers, while singer Hariharan was delighted at spotting elephants in the wild. Flautist Rakesh Chaurasia left the venue in a hurry after his morning concert to go on a safari. “I wanted to perform before I went into the forest. What if a tiger hunts me down?” he laughed, before playing a soulful raag Pahadi.
In a bid to provide a unique musical experience, curators of cultural festivals are constantly on the lookout for locations that will
HKarumban’s wife suggests he take up farming but he is consumed by his passion for theyyam. His elder daughter Manikyam falls in love with a bangle seller and elopes. The villagers turn against Karumban and question his right to become the next Chinkam. Meanwhile, Manikyam returns to the forest after being sexually assaulted. spark wanderlust in people. Palaces, forts and lush landscapes are being turned into performance arenas, allowing the audience to discover the freespiritedness of our arts. The unconventional settings also motivate artistes to push the boundaries of their creativity.
‘Ragas by the River’, which was held recently in Uttarakhand, celebrated the ageold connection between music and Nature. We have heard how Tansen could set off a blaze by singing raag Deepak and could bring rain with his rendition of Miyan ki Malhar, still a popular monsoon raag.
The venue of the festival was on the banks of river Kosi and the fringes of the Jim Corbett National Park. Established in 1936, Corbett is the country’s first national park and is known for its flora and fauna.
Sitting under a clear sky on chilly evenings, surrounded by tall trees, rocky hills and a river, raags Yaman, Gurjari Todi, Jhinjoti and Shudh Kalyan seemed to gain a distinct emotional resonance.
Informal ambience
Kaushiki, who went on the safari twice with her son and husband, felt it was amazing to see curators design cultural events for a larger purpose. “I am an outdoorsy person and love going on adventure holidays. This festival has been the best working holiday I have had in recent times. I felt a surge of energy when I sang after experiencing the wilderness,” she said. “The
Chinkam orders the villagers to severe ties with Manikyam.
The film is peppered with theyyam performances by Karumban, essayed by
Sudheer Karamana, making it a visual feast.
Colourful costume
Theyyam is derived from informal ambience allows for a closer interaction with the audience too.
“But the biggest highlight was being able to sit back and enjoy the performances of other artistes. Imagine having Ustad Amjad Ali Khan in the audience at my concert,” she added.
Kaushiki was also invited by the Ustad to sing ‘Aaj jaane ki zid na karo’ as he played the timeless ghazal on his sarod during his late evening performance. “Only in the last few years have we realised how valuable culture tourism is. Our art and heritage stand to gain immensely with this burgeoning interest. The new synergy among artistes, audiences, organisers and curators is essential to make art accessible. Look at how the audience is enjoying the music. It is not always important that they understand every note,” he said.
As the delectable sounds of his sarod wafted through the cool air, the veteran musician teased out the character of each melodic phrase. Unlike the racy passages we usually
The bigger purpose is to preserve the natural heritage of the region. We plan to join hands with environmental organisations to make Nature an important collaborator of the festival.
VIR SRIVASTAVA
hear today, his phrases began gently, shone with refined improvisation and finally dove into tranquillity. All through, the Ustad demonstrated his impeccable control over the instrument. The evening began with his sons Amaan and Ayaan reiterating through their playing the challenge of innovation and the beauty of tradition.
Sujata Mishra, a young IT executive from Delhi was attending
Karamana in
Sudheer the word ‘daivam’. The dance form was never meant to entertain but to invoke the deity and seek blessings for prosperity. That’s how theyyam became to be the dance of gods.
It is believed that during the performance, the artiste transcends his/her body and connects with the divine.
With the face painted in bright colours and dramatic eyemake up, donning an elaborate costume, a huge bamboo headgear and unique jewellery, the male dancer performs to the beats of musical instruments such as chenda (percussion), kuzhal (double reed wind instrument), elathalam (cymbals). In an openair setting, he then enacts the stories of Kari Chamundi (goddess of disease), Vishnumoorthi (a representation of Vishnu), Bhagavathi, Raktha Chamundi and other gods.
The audience is immersed in bhakti rasa while watching the dancer perform with energy and vigour. The costume, performance, openair setting in the night and lighting come together to make it an her first classical concert. “This was a perfect space for my initiation. I did not feel like being in a highbrow cultural bubble. There’s a perception that classical music isn’t the most welcoming, and certainly not the most diverse as far its performers or audience members are concerned. Newage festivals are different. And who knows, maybe I’ll next go to listen to classical music in an auditorium,” she smiled.
Curators are attempting all types of stratagems to broaden the audience base. “We must cultivate the next generation of loyal patrons to remain culturally relevant. I am always eager to perform at such events where the audience comes with an open mind and lets the musician take them on a journey. Since there is no pressure on us to stick to the repertoire, we package the presentation in a way that it appeals to both the informed and the neophyte,” said Rakesh Chaurasia (who won the Grammy this year for the album ‘As we speak’).
According Vir Srivastava, the festival director, the idea was to make classical music less intimidating and more enjoyable. A trustee of Ustad Amjad Ali Khan’s Sarod Ghar in Gwalior, Vir hails from a family that has its roots in the RampurSahaswan gharana. It was at the suggestion of the sarod maestro that Vir launched the festival.
“During visits to Corbett with his grandsons, the Ustad would tell me during casual baithaks that music will sound divine in the pure air of this place. So we decided to stage the concerts at the foothills of the Himalayas. However, the bigger purpose was to preserve the natural heritage of the region. Going forward, we plan to join hands with environmental organisations to make Nature an important collaborator of the festival,” said
Vir. enchanting experience.
There are more than 400 styles of theyyam. “This tribe’s theyyam is different and difficult. Our lead actor, Sudheer, trained in it for six months,” says Unni.
The film’s catalogue gives a holistic description of the role theyyam practitioners play in the Mavilan community. It says: “Theyyam artistes in the community create wonders and are deemed to possess allencompassing knowledge. They leave their homes and loved ones to take up residence in the jungle and perform miracles. Their abode, known as ‘Pathee’ is sought out by people who want guidance in life. Their visions of the future set a rhythm to Mavilan life.”
Apart from theyyam, the film also throws light on other folk songs and dance forms like Mangalamkali (wedding dance ritual) and Eruthkali of the Mavilan tribe. The film documents their musical instruments such as thudi and bamboo drums.
While the film was shot in forests over a period of 30 days, the research by Unni KR and Rajesh Thillenkeri, who has written the story, screenplay and dialogue, took three years. “The tribals have a difficult life but they don’t complain. They want to live like free birds. Onkara is an effort to capture the unique lifestyle and culture of the Mavilans,” says Unni.