Kerala art forms around Kathakali
Kathakali did not grow alone. Four older Kerala arts shaped it.
- Mudiyettu: a ritual play about the goddess Bhadrakali and the demon Darika, with painted faces and big headgear.
- Theyyam: a ritual dance where the dancer, in bright costume, is believed to become a deity.
- Koodiyattam: very old Sanskrit theatre, with slow, long acting.
- Kalaripayattu: the martial art of Kerala. Its body control and leg lifts are seen in Kathakali movements.
Keli, purappadu and kalasam
Keli (also called kelikottu) is the drum call in the evening that tells the village a performance is coming. Purappadu means "coming out": the first item, where the characters come on stage behind a held curtain and give a welcome dance.
A kalasam is a short piece of pure dance (nritta) with no story. It follows a talam, a fixed cycle of beats. A kalasam often ends a section, like a full stop made of dance. A talam such as chempata has 8 beats; others are longer or shorter.
The five make-up types
The make-up is built from rice paste, colours and a big crown. The colour says what kind of person you are looking at.
- Pachcha (green): noble, brave heroes such as Rama and Arjuna.
- Kathi (knife): proud, strong characters with an evil streak, such as Ravana. A red mark and a knob on the nose.
- Thaadi (beard): red beard for very evil characters, white for a divine monkey like Hanuman, black for a hunter.
- Kari (black): wild characters such as demonesses and forest hunters.
- Minukku (radiant): soft yellow-orange for women, sages and Brahmins.
Vocal and percussion music
In Kathakali the actor-dancers do not speak or sing. Two singers stand at the back and sing the story. The first singer (ponnani) holds the chengila (a round bronze gong) and the second (sinkidi) holds ilathalam (small cymbals) to keep the beat.
The percussion is loud and exciting: chenda (a tall drum played with sticks), maddalam (a barrel-shaped drum played with the hands) and edakka (an hourglass drum used for soft, delicate moods). Together they lift the dance, beat by beat.
Try it
Try it at home. Take a plain paper face. Colour one face with green and a red nose knob. Colour another with black. Colour a third yellow-orange. Show them to a friend and ask who is the hero, the wild hunter and the sage. Then use the 3D picker and check your guesses.
Key formulas and definitions
- Key terms: keli = evening drum call; purappadu = first welcome dance
- Kalasam = a pure-dance piece in a talam (for example chempata, 8 beats)
- Make-up: pachcha (green, noble), kathi (proud, strong), thaadi (beard), kari (black, wild), minukku (radiant, soft)
- Singers: ponnani (with chengila) and sinkidi (with ilathalam)
- Percussion: chenda, maddalam, edakka
Worked examples
1. A character has a green face with a red knob on the nose. Which make-up is it and what kind of character?
Kathi make-up: a proud, powerful character with an evil streak, such as Ravana.
2. You see a white beard on a Kathakali character. Who might it be?
Thaadi make-up with a white beard: a divine monkey character such as Hanuman.
3. Which part of a Kathakali night is a piece of pure dance following a talam?
The kalasam.
4. Which drum is tall and played with sticks, and which is barrel-shaped and played with hands?
The chenda is tall and played with sticks. The maddalam is barrel-shaped and played with the hands.
Common mistakes
- Saying kathi means "cut" or "kite". Kathi means knife, a hint at a sharp, proud character.
- Thinking Kathakali actors sing. The singers stand behind and sing; the actors use gestures and face.
- Mixing keli (evening drum call) with purappadu (first dance on stage).
- Calling every green face pachcha. A green face with red marks and a nose knob is kathi.