Kathakali Centre

The International Centre for Kathakali

www.kathakalicentre.org

 

 Fifty Years of Kathakali in Delhi

Golden Jubilee celebrations at the Centre

The Golden Jubilee celebrations to mark 50 years of Kathakali in Delhi, the capital of India, was inaugurated by Padmabhushan Ramankutty Nair, the patriarch of Kathakali, on the 5th of November 2009. Shri. Akavoor Narayanan was the chief guest. Sanal Edamaruku presided over the inauguration of the Golden Jubilee celebrations.

The inauguration was followed by a very special Kathakali programme. Padma Shree Kalamandalam Gopi, the great maestro and long time friend of the Kathakali Centre, performed as 'Nalan' in 'Nalacharitham - First Day'. Following this, Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair performed as 'Kattalan' in 'Nalacharitham Second Day'. Artists of the Kathakali Centre played together with the two eminent masters.

Kalamandalam Gopi  performing as Nalan in 'Nalacharitham First Day' during the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the International Centre for Kathakali.Thiruvattar Jagadisan who played the role of 'Naradan' is also seen.

Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair as 'Kattalan' in Nalacharitham Second Day performed during the Golden Jubilee inauguration of the International Centre for Kathakali.

Kathakali Centre at Delhi, the capital of India, is a premier institute for the promoton, teaching and performance of the highly stylised classical dance-drama from Kerala, and other classical performing arts.

The International Centre for Kathakali was founded in 1960. The Centre is totally devoted to teaching, performing, promoting and propagating Kathakali - the great classical art, in Delhi and other north Indian States and also abroad. The Founder president of the Centre was Sardar K.M. Panikkar, the noted historian and diplomat. The Centre was inaugurated by Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the then President of India. The Centre was lead by a galaxy of eminent personalities like Sardar K.M.Panikkar, Justice V.R.Krishna Iyer, Mrs. K.R.K.Menon, Mr.M.A.Vellodi, Dr.K.P.A.Menon, Justice V.Balakrishna Eradi, among others. At present, Sanal Edamaruku is guiding the activities of the International Centre for Kathakali as its President.

Alongwith the formation of the Centre, a Kathakali School was also opened for teaching Kathakali in the traditional style. The Centre and the Kathakali School had distinguished and great teachers, first the late Guru Mampuzha Madhava Panikkar and later Guru Keezhupadam Kumaran Nair. The Centre's activities, performances as well as teaching are in the hands of a group of eminent artistes. The Kathakali School of the Centre has trained a large number of Indian and foreign students from different countries. At present, there are more than 150 students. The School conducts short-term condensed courses to foreign students with special attention. Some of the foreign students who had their training in the Centre are working as Kathakali professionals and others as professors in different colleges and universities.

The performing troupe of the Centre consists of 25 eminent artistes including some senior students. Besides more than 80 performances every year in and around Delhi, the troupe has performed extensively abroad in more than 100 cities the world over in different continents, such as Asia, Europe, North & South America and Oceania. Most of the performances in the international dance or theatre festivals were sponsored by Indian Council for Cultural Reasearch, Govt. of India, and the rest by different organizations all over the world. These performances were highly acclaimed by the public, critics and organizers, as of high quality and good presentation.  The presentation with proper editing of long and traditional plays without loosing the dramatic essence and classical contents to suit modern stage is well received by art lovers. The troupe has participated in almost all the International Festivals, such as Athens Festival (Greece), Berlin Festival (Germany), Belgrade Festival (Yugoslavia), Leningrad Festival (USSR), Serventino Festival (Mexico), N.R.I. Festival (New York), Indian Ocean Festival (Australia), Pacific Ocean Festival (Newzealand), N.H.K. Festival (Japan), International Ramayana Festival (Cambodia), 96-Oriental Drama Performance and Academic Research Conference (China), Chogam Asiad Festival (India), South East Asian Festival, S.E.S.C Autumn Festival (Brazil), Earli & Music Festival (Holland), Delphi European Theatre Festival (Delphi, Greece), Eurokaz International Festival of New Theatre (Zagreb, Croatia), Primonski Polatm Festival, XII International Festival (Venezuela), VII International Theatre Festival (Colombia), Mundao Festival (Brazil), Pula Summer Festival (Pula, Slovenia), Punderosa Music & Arts Festival (Milan, Italy) ...

As a part of modernising, propagating, promoting and popularizing Kathakali, the Centre has taken up a continuing project since 1980 of producing new plays based on not only traditional and mythological stories, but also historical stories, European classics and Shakespeare's plays.

WE REMEMBER...Dr. Akavoor Narayanan linguistic scholar, kathakali critic and great friend of the International Centre for Kathakali, passed away on 2 December 2009.He was the director of the project committee of the Kathakali Centre that produced several new Kathakali plays. ____

The International Centre for Kathakali  

President:                       SANAL EDAMARUKU

Vice Presidents:                Sudha Gopalakrishnan  RMS Nair

Secretary General:        Ramachandran R

Treasurer:                  Vijaya Raghaven

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KATHAKALI -FROM KERALA TO A WORLD ART...

VISITING KAZAKHSTAN

A team of artists of the International Centre for Kathakali recently visited Kazakhstan. They performed Kathakali in four different cities in Kazakhstan.

FINNISH EPIC IN KATHAKALI

In co-operation with the Sangeet Natak Akademi, the International Centre for Kathakali is preparing a Kathakali adaptation of the Finnish epic "The Kalevala".

JAPANESE FOLK TALE IN KATHAKALI

Japanese fok tale "Urashimo Taro" will soon be on Kathakali stage. The International Centre for Kathakali has started preparations for the Kathakali adaptation of Urashimo Taro.

OTHELLO

William Shakespear's Othello is now available as a Kathakali play. The artists of the International Centre for Kathakali have performed the the classic drama in a 90 minutes Kathakali play.

PSYCHE AND CUPID

The Greek-Roman love legend of Psyche and Cupid was performed as a Kathakali play of 90 minutes by the International Centre for Kathakali recently.

Performance of "Othello" and "Psyche and Cupid" is open for booking now. 

For more details, please call: (011) 26867263 or send an email to us: kathakali_centre@yahoo.com