This is the interview with by Puthumana Govindan Namboothiri after winning the Kerala tourism award. He shares his experiences of his earlier days of thidambu nritham, praise won from different parts of India and his views on thidambu nritham. His comments on other kerala classic dance form Kathakali, chakyarkoothu and evaluation on other dances. He remembers friendship with different generations of dancers throughout the past decades.
Puthumana Govindan Namboothiri got the highest award for any artist in the state of Kerala. He was very happy to know about the award and welcomed it with a smiling satisfied face. In between the appreciations through telephone calls and e-mails, he shares rare experiences on thidambu nritham dance which he has shared with none. As an introduction he told us that it is the emotional connection with the people of Kerala that impelled him to allow this interview.
Hussain: On this fortunate occasion of winning an award, you will be recollecting many treasured moments in your temple dance career?
Puthumana: During my childhood at 5, I saw performances of thidambu nritham at temples for the first time. In those days, I used to emulate the steps after coming back home. All my elders and relatives told my father that ‘this boy has a taste for thidambu nritham’. But my father had different expectations on my education to complete a minimum of SSLC grade. My maternal uncle encouraged me to train and undertake thidambu nritham as the main in my life.
Hussain: Thidambu nritham is a less known dance in India. There are other dances Kathakali, Ottan thullan and chakyarkoothu which are discussed far and wide. What are your memories of these dances?
Puthumana: Those memories were kept secretly in my mind, please don’t think another way. Whenever I think about childhood memories of these dances, I feel happy. To name, there are several artists touched me. In kathakali, Kalamandalam Krishnan nair, Pattikkanthodi, Kunchukkuruppu, Chemancheri, Kalamandalam Gopi. Similarly, there are many graets in ottan thullal, and in chakyarkoothu.
Hussain: It is been more than fifty years after you started debut performance. What is the contemporary importance of this dance?
Puthumana: In my opinion, currently the dance is important in every sector of life. I need many hours to explain this to you.
Hussain: How will you self assess the central feature of your dance performances?
Puthumana: The central themes of my performance are love towards mankind and love towards nature.
Hussain: How did you interpret and relate modernization in thidambu nritham?
Puthumana: Originality in thidambu nritham dance at temples should be retained. I was sadly following the radical change in this art form. There were changes in Kathakali and Chakyarkoothu, but not this much. The uniqueness in ottan thullal and bharathanatyam has attracted me extremely. I kept telling to myself in mind how cautiously the artists go on with the tradition. Whether they get recognition or not, whether the audience likes it or not the dancers should not slew away from the advice of gurus.
Hussain: While the legends in Kathakali and similar classical dance forms were celebrated, you were also evaluated point by point and applauded sufficiently. How do you look at this action of review?
Puthumana: I was surprised to see that many groups of supporters have scrupulously considered and criticized my performances. A lot of them have selected me as a topic in temple dance and wrote a book about me! People from different generations and different tastes in art are writing about me. I believe that through this action, they try to uncover many levels of India temple dance.
0 comments:
Post a Comment