A Guide to Kathakali

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In this book the author explains in simple language what Kathakali is all about. It is intended to help anyone who is not conversant with the art, or who knows little about Hindu mythology, to enjoy a performance which is very difficult to follow unless one has some understanding of what is happening on the stage.

The author worked in Kerala for twenty-five years. In his spare time he made a detailed study of Kathakali and established a close relationship with many of the people who are now keeping this ancient art alive: actors, musicians, make-up artistes, teachers and students. On retiring to England he decided to write a book on the subject which would help the uninitiated to understand this great but somewhat abstruse art form, feeling that there was a general need for something short and simple which would explain some of the intricacies of Kathakali.

The book contains, among other things, brief summaries of the Mahabharata, the Ramayana and the Bhagavata Purana (on which all classical Kathakali plays are based) and a scene-by-scene description of the action on the stage in the 35 most popular plays. It is illustrated with photographs taken from actual performances on various dates between 1954 and 1994, depicting many well known Kathakali actors over a span of four decades.

Introduction	3
History	3
Training	4
The Characters	5
The Make-up	6
The Costume	8
The Stage	9
The Musicians	9
The Actors	10
The Performance	11

Kathakali plays	15
Mahabharata	17
Plays from the Mahabharata	30
Bhagavata Purana	61
Ramayana	90
Plays from the Ramayana	95
The story of Nala	117
Plays from the story of Nala	120
Miscellaneous stories	131

The acting and dancing of Kathakali	143
The Mudras of Kathakali	144
The music of Kathakali	146

1. Complete list of characters grouped under different types of make-up	151
2. Kathakali characters and the plays in which they appear	153
3. Summary of characters and roles	156
4. List of authors, their dates and the plays which they composed	157
5. Alphabetical index of plays	158
6. Glossary of technical words	159
7. Kathakali on video	162
8. Bibliography for further reading	163