RESOURCE PAPER - 9

A Shared Unity Amidst Diversity
Kathakali and Kabuki

byMs. Geethanjali Rajan

RESOURCE PAPER - 9

A Shared Unity Amidst Diversity
Kathakali and Kabuki

byMs. Geethanjali Rajan

This Resource Paper on A Shared Unity Amidst Diversity tries toanalyse the similarities between one of the traditional and highly valued
and appreciated art forms of India and Japan - Kathakali and Kabuki.
The Paper analyses the traditional dance theatres of the two performing
arts from their origin to the current performance.
The author Ms. Geethanjali hails from Kerala, (Southern State) and isfamiliar with the Kathakali art, has grown up in the town famous for
Kathakali art. She had an opportunity to enjoy a Kabuki performance inJapan recently and was impressed with the similarities of the two arts.
This booklet is an outcome of her thoughts.
It is our earnest desire that the traditional arts of both the countries
should be appreciated and treasured. We appeal to every one of the art
lovers to help save art forms for posterity.

October 2016

N. Krishnaswami
ChairmanA Shared Unity Amidst Diversity
Kathakali and Kabuki

Introduction
Both India and Japan share a deep love of traditional arts, be it visual or
performance art - music and dance or theatre. Both countries are
known for their long history of art and art promotion by the royal courts.
Performing arts that may have experienced a decline for a few decades
have seen a revival, with the state and citizens taking an active part in its
promotion. From state-sponsored institutions to performance spaces
and performing opportunities, both India and Japan have been delving
deep into its folk and classical art history and taking initiatives toencourage traditional music, dance and theatre amongst the modern
generation.
In India, Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, Kuchipudi and other Classicaldance traditions compete with the more modern cinema-based dancestyles. Yet, there is a definite audience for traditional dances and many
youngsters, both urban and rural, still take to learning the forms as well
as appreciating them. But, in the long run, will the interest in these art
forms still remain? In Japan too, traditional arts and performancescompete with the kawaii culture and western pop culture, both being
strong forces in their own right. This paper attempts to take a close lookat two specific traditional dance theatre forms in both the cultures,
5Kathakali in India and Kabuki in Japan, and compare the similarities intheir forms and their different circumstances.

Kathakali : A brief historical perspective
The word 'Kathakali' is an amalgam of two words, katha meaning story
and kali meaning play. From these two words has emerged one of the most
captivating dance theatre forms of India. Said to have emerged around theth
16 century, Kathakali sees the definite influence of other traditional
performance forms and is said to have evolved from Chakkiarkuthu,
Koodiyattam, Krishnanattam and Ramanattam, to name a few. It haselements of Kalaripayattu, the martial art form of Kerala too in its body
movements and stances. Koodiyattam, the ancient performance form
attached to temples is said to be the original ancestor of Kathakali. Legend
has it that Krishnanattam, an earlier dance drama form was performed
only in temples as an offering to Lord Krishna. When the Zamorin of
Calicut (the then ruler) refused to send the Krishnanattam troupe for a
performance to Travancore, the Ruler of Kottarakkara set forth to avenge
the insult by coming up with Ramanattam, a performance form to enact
the stories from the Ramayana.
Kathakali has traditional stories from the epics Mahabharata andRamayana, and also represents the Puranas. Traditionally, the stories
and legends were brought alive through performances that lasted fromdusk to dawn. The long performances have now given way to shorter
shows, keeping in mind the paucity of time in modern day life. Every
performance is an amalgam of dance, song and percussion and has all
three groups of performers. Each group requires specific training inthat aspect of Kathakali. It is a case in point that Kathakali was mainly
performed by men in earlier times, something that kabuki still shareswith Kathakali.

The emergence of Kabuki
Kabuki, the highly stylized, traditional dance drama form of Japan has
elements of dance, drama, music and theatre. The word 'Kabuki'
6traditionally meant 'unorthodox entertainment' form and the word wasderived to mean one who is bizarrely dressed or out of the ordinary.
However, the kanji that represent Kabuki, now come to mean song,dance and skill. Traced back to the early 17th century, the Edo period,
this form is seen as the first entertainment form that addressed the tastesof the common people. Okuni, a female dancer at the grand Shrine of
Izumo is said to have founded this form. Her parodies of Buddhist
prayer drew the attention of the common man. However, the all too
sensuous nature of the dance by female dancers and their engagement inprostitution, led to a ban by the then government in 1629, the period of
the Tokugawa Shogunate. The art was taken over by young boys
(wakashuu kabuki), but the concern for failing morals among them too
led to the downfall of Kabuki by 1652. The art form was at crossroads
till it was taken over by older men (yarou kabuki) and a refinement in
the skills and portrayals has seen it grow in stature to what it is today,with professional theatres and performances and impeccably run
Kabuki theatres in the main cities of Japan, notably Tokyo, Osaka andKyoto. Today, Kabuki is recognised as one of the three classicalperformance forms in Japan, along with Noh and Bunraku. It has been
given the status of Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.
Kabuki showcases stories from history, love stories, moral conflicts andwell known tragedies. Often, it depicts only a part of the story, just as in
Kathakali.

The Actors in Kathakali
Kathakali is a highly stylized form and much of its splendour lies in theacting and dance. However, a very good part of the appeal also lies inthe elaborate makeup of the artistes and the costumes. The costumes
and the makeup are intricately done and the characters are recognisable
through their Vesham or makeup. The five main types of makeup are
Pacha, Kathi, Kari, Thadi and Minukku. These are important in that
there are colours associated with each of the styles and the actors are
dressed according to their emotion and character (hero or villain, goodor bad).
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To bring it to a simplistic explanation,
Pacha denotes noble characters
Kathi (knife) denotes the villains
Thadi (beard) is of three types white beard (virtuous characters like
Hanuman, the monkey God), red beard (evil characters), and black
beard (hunters or people of the forest ).
Kari is for demonesses.
Minukku (prettifying) represents female characters and some sages .
Other characters like the hamsa (swan) in Nala's love story, Garuda(Eagle God) or Jatayu in the Ramayana are considered to be messengers
and are exceptions to the above classification.
The painted faces make it seem that a dancer is looking through a mask,
although there isn't one. The colours of the mask and costume silently
communicate qualities like virtuosity, sage- like renunciation or anger.
Part of the makeup (teppu) is done by the artist himself and then, takenover by experts. Apart from the face colours, the eyebrows, lashes andlips are made to look prominent and they add to the Aharya (costume,
makeup). The chutti or rice paste applied to the face characteristicallyenhances the face. Kathakali costumes are attractive and consist of along white skirt worn over padding and colourful over jackets. These
give the actors a larger than life appearance. Add to it, the kiritam orhead gear that is mandatory for all actors, and the impact is complete. It
is to be noted that the makeup in Kathakali, like Kabuki, allows for
facial expressions to be displayed with great skill and makes the actor
the central focus of all performances.

The Actors in Kabuki
Like Kathakali, the kesho or makeup in Kabuki is what makes the actor
the focal point and cynosure of all eyes. The costumes are exquisitely
crafted and sometimes, even flamboyant to suit the actor and the role.
The kesho is heavy, elaborate and important, as is the case with8

Kathakali. The makeup denotes the age, gender and even the mood of
the character. A thick layer of oil to ensure that the makeup sticks to theface, is followed by the whitening of the face by oshiroi. The white paintis made of rice powder (as is the case with the chutti of Kathakali). The
whiteness again is dictated by the character that is played. Over this,come the important face lines in red and black that enhance the eyes andmouth to give the dramatic effect. Supernatural characters are denotedby the use of kumadori style makeup which consists of shapes and lines
in different colours. The colours on the face denote qualities. Red
denoted anger and passion, while dark blue is sadness. Purple denotes
noble qualities and pink perhaps, for youth. It is said that actors wererequired to put on their own makeup, so that they get to live theircharacters and understand them better.
The kumadori faces are an art form by themselves. When a Samurai
fights evil to make the righteous triumph, he has to perform
supernatural acts. This is the concept of being possessed by a kami(God) that makes him capable of the enormous task in front of him. The
kesho is the vehicle that lets the actor depict this in Kabuki, especially in
the Aragato style (rough style). Many of the Samurai characters are
dressed in padded clothing and look larger than life. This is the intended
effect in the stylized form that is Kabuki.
The costumes, wigs and even the props in Kabuki depend on the story
and character being represented. Samurai (bushi) and nobles wear
resplendent costumes and the the jidaimono stories are displayed in ahighly flamboyant setting and with showy costumes and props (Forexample, an enormous sword to exaggerate the violent quality).

The Accompanists in Kathakali and Kabuki
Kathakali is danced to the accompanying music called geetam, which isthe vocalist rendering the song in Malayalam, Sanskrit or more often, in
Sanskritised Malayalam. The singing by the vocalist is accompanied by
percussionists who may play the traditional percussion instruments of
Kerala the maddalam, chenda, ilathalam, idakka, chengala or even the9conch (sankhu). For the most part, the dancers dance to the words of thesong which in fact, is the story of the episode. However, artistes are
given a chance to show their prowess and emote individually too, not inaccordance to the words. This unrestricted individual adaptation iswhere the seniors (asan) truly excel.
Take the case of Kabuki, where the actor is the essential focus of theshow. He too, has musicians and vocalists accompanying him. The highpitched singing by the singers is accompanied by the stringed
instrument, shamisen. Apart from this, two oak boards are clapped
together to get the ki and tsuke sounds. The musicians and singers areseated to the two opposite sides of the stage. There are other instruments
too that accompany the singing like the drums (taiko) and fue (flute).
Just as the percussion drums up the atmosphere for a vatham (killing)
towards the end of a story in Kathakali, the ongaku (music) is used
deftly to create an atmosphere as well as set the action in kabuki.

The Stage
The performance space in Kathakali is a simple, almost bare entity
which the actors bring alive with their skill and prowess. The space is
not decorated except for a huge nelavillakku or traditional bronze lamp,
lit with wicks fuelled by oil. In ancient times, the lamp was the only
source of light and the entire performance was carried by the actors by
conveying their emotions through the dimly lit space. Today,
performances are done in auditorium spaces where electric lights areused. However, traditional spaces too exist in Kerala, where the dancer
is the only embellishment in the performance.
Another notable point is the colourful silk curtain that is stitched
together and held by two people at the beginning of the performance.
The beginning of the performance has a theranottam or roughly
translated, the curtain raiser. Here, the artiste is behind the handheld
curtain and slowly, reveals himself. The entries and exits of theperformers are all dependent on the part they play and may be dramaticor silent. The story is after all, greater than the artiste.
10The stage in Kabuki as it exists today is a magnificent, technologicallypowered space. However, the stage remains simple to look at, with only
the mandatory pine tree or matsu as a property. However, the stage iseasily converted by lifts, trapdoors(seri), and even has a revolving
mechanism! This facilitates dynamic stage changes today and here,
Kabuki differs from Kathakali completely. Kabuki is more a theatre art
in this aspect with property, scene and dynamic change of place as is thecase in theatre. Kathakali remains a journey in the mind, where thedancer takes the audience forward with the might of his performancealone. This is not to undermine the all-powerful acting by Kabuki
veterans. The case in point here is that they do have the support ofbeautiful, awe-inspiring stage settings which again, are a work of art inthemselves.
The entry of some of the actors is through the hanamichi or the longraised path into the audience section. This gives a feeling of the actors
walking through and interacting with the audience, leaving a lasting
impression. In kathakali too, these types of entries through the audience
may sometimes be used depending on the story, though no real
hanamichi exists.

Stories in Kathakali and Kabuki
The Kathakali repertoire consisits of traditional themes and stories
from the epics Mahabharata and Ramayana. Notable among these are
the stories that revolve around Lord Krishna and the Pandavas. The
Puranas are represented in the dance form with a particular rasa
(emotion) running through a piece. The characters in the performanceare of three main types sattvik (the hero, the God, the good), tamasik(the anti-hero, the demon, the evil) and rajasik (the qualities that
dominate here are lust, greed, vanity). Through all the stories, thecentral character is revealed and developed through the performanceand in the end, it is the moral victory that is conveyed through the story
good always wins over evil. The righteous always triumph. It is said that
there are hundreds of Kathakali stories. Some notable stories are11

Kalyana Sougandhikam, Bali Vijayam, Nala Charitam. All these stories
are deeply rooted in the Hindu tradition.
In recent times, there has been a movement to incorporate new themes
and stories that are secular into Kathakali. Many such attempts andsuccessful experiments have taken off. Notable among these, is theadaptation of Shakespeare's Othello into Kathakali!
Kabuki stories can be broadly classified into two main types based on
the content the jidaimono and the sewamono. The jidaimono consistsof historical works about the Samurai and nobles. Most of them are set
in earlier periods, even if written in the Edo period. The sewamono is
more about the domestic stories of traders and their existence in the Edo
period.
Some stories of kabuki were first written for a puppet performance andlater, adapted for kabuki, whereas many others were written purely forthe kabuki stage. Newer kabuki productions written after the Second
World War are classified as the new kabuki style or Shin kabuki.

Performance and Acting Style
As has been mentioned, both these forms of performance in Asia arestylized forms. The performance rests on the square shoulders of theactors, especially the main character of the story. The very word
“acting” is a minute word to describe the emoting in both the art forms,
as it is a combination of both dance and drama.
In Kathakali, there are pure dance portions that are a combination of
footwork, leaps, turns and are part of what is termed the kalasams.
These are a joy to watch as the very basic stance in Kathakali requires
the body weight to be balanced on the outer edges of the feet, with thelegs being in a slightly curved position. This is probably the firstchallenge for a novice student to face! Along with the footwork, thehand gestures or mudras are a very important part of conveying of thestory. These are based on the traditional classic dance text. The facialmuscles, controlled eye movements eyebrow, eyeball and eyelids are12the mark of a good performer and veteran actors are known by theirability to convey complex emotions with just minute eye movements.
Kathakali is played out with the body of the performer converting thesong that is sung and the story that is told, into movements and thisenthrals the audience along with the emotion, music, percussion andcostume. In the lamplight, the audience in turn, interprets the story.
There are times in the story where the vocal song ceases and theperformer is allowed to describe a scene or take the story forward on his
own with just the accompanying music. This too has powerful impact,
especially when a knowledgeable audience is viewing the performanceand they understand what is being said just by the gestures.
Kabuki acting has been passed on from generation to generation infamilies, from father to son or from teacher to student. In this, it issimilar to Kathakali or any other traditional dance form in India, all ofwhich have a guru shishya paramapara (teacher-student tradition).
Certain families also are known to be famous for acting out specificstories in Kabuki. The Kabuki performance has many striking element
like the poses (mie) that are frozen for a few moments for impact or the
striking fighting techniques (tachimawari). Add to this, the uniquedramatic acting technique that captivates the audience. Sometimes, anactor quickly changes roles in the sequence too. The character's walking
style, sometimes very exaggerated, the way his entry or exit from thehanamichi or stage is done, has the audience shout out encouragement,
just as is the case in Kathakali.
As in Kathakali, the importance of the curtain comes in here, but
perhaps to a greater degree. There are curtains that reveal or conceal
exits and entries or the stage setting as is required. This is very muchpart of the expression of the story. An interesting aspect of Kabuki is thepresence of a stage assistant on the stage, at times. He aids in various
ways with props, adjusting makeup and maybe even, mopping up theperspiration. He is clothed completely in black. In kabuki, it is believedthat black is an invisible colour and the kurogo (stage assistant) is
supposed to be invisible. In this, the audience is also part of theconvention, in the willing suspension of disbelief!
13Kathakali and Kabuki in the Present Times
Any traditional or classical performing art finds itself at the crossroads
when popular entertainment is nearby. Today, the scenario is such thattelevision and other forms of media compete with each other in bringing
movies, dramas, soap operas, contemporary art forms and music to us.
The younger generation is definitely far removed from older and moreclassical performing art forms, especially in the urban setting where
they have access to the latest cinema, western thought and urban
entertainment centres. This is true of every country in the world andhere is where specific effort has to be taken to support traditional
performing arts and encourage it among the youth of the country.
Japan has been in the forefront of art conservation and Kabuki isrecognised as a traditional performing art with UNESCO granting it the
Intangible Heritage status. This definitely gives it the pride of place in asociety that reveres its culture and respects its history. Hence, eventhough there was a period after the occupation of Japan by the Allied
forces when Kabuki was banned, it has seen resurgence. Many newpieces have been written and the Japan Arts Council has been at theforefront of building National Theatres across Japan and providing
state of art facilities to perform Kabuki. In addition, it also has programs
to fund and train Kabuki actors. Amongst the Japanese, going to a
Kabuki show is still a formal event and the events are priced high, but adefinitely appreciative audience exists. In addition, organizations likethe Japan Foundation help in international tours and lectures on Kabuki
which encourage the art form and makes sure that it remains a proud
traditional part of the art fabric of a modernised nation.
In India too, classical dance forms compete with cinema and pop
culture, with the unfortunate result of the latter completely obliterating
many a traditional performing art form. To be fair, there is an audiencefor Kathakali too and in Kerala, many a performance is related to temple
festivals. A recent resurgence in performances has been seen but is it
enough? In the earlier days, most Kathakali performers were supported
in the courts of the royal patrons. Today,The Ministry of Culture under
the Government of India does run scholarships and grants for14

traditional art forms and Kathakali is definitely part of the scheme. In
Kerala, the Kerala Kalamandalam, started in 1930 by the famous poet
Vellathol Narayana Menon, remains a premiere institution for the
training and performance of Kathakali. It is a grant in aid centre under
the Government of India. Kalamandalam attracts many international
students too.
However, much has to be done to change the situation andcircumstances of the artistes themselves. In Japan, many Kabuki actors
appear on television. It is not the case in India with Kathakali. It is
possible for the private sector in India to encourage and support art
initiatives, as the access to funds lies with them. Maybe in partnershipwith the Government and art NGOs, corporate entities can step in tobuild performance spaces for traditional dance forms like Kathakali. In
this, a leaf can be taken from the story of the preservation anddevelopment of Kabuki's performance spaces in Japan. In the futurewhen there is adequate support for the encouragement and performanceof traditional arts in India, we can hope that young India will respect,encourage and appreciate their abundant ethnic past.

Author's Note
In the summer of 2015, during a Japan Foundation Teacher Training
Programme, I was taken to the imposing National Theatre at Tokyo towatch a spectacular show of Kabuki Yoshitsune no senbon zakura.
This famous story of the Samurai has 5 acts but on show that day were
two scenes. In the final moments of the unforgettable show, when the
General Tomomori throws himself over a cliff with an anchor tied tohimself, in order to end his own life as was considered Samurai- like inthe past, I was taken to a memory of watching spectacular scenes of
Kathakali, where many a story ends with a vatham or killing. The
similarity of the two forms was striking to a lay person like me, who has
no link to dance theatre forms, except as an avid spectator or rasika. Of
course, the process of appreciating Kathakali or Kabuki also lies inunderstanding the story and the form. In my case, the Kabuki show waspreceded by a half- day lecture session at the Japan Foundation
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Japanese Language Centre at Kita Urawa, Saitama which serves as thebasis of information for this article. My gratitude to Mr.Takeshi
Kitamura of the Japan Foundation Language Centre at Kita Urawa for
his illuminating talk on the history, form and elements of Kabuki. Muchof my interest in Kathakali comes from having grown up in the town
nearest to Kerala Kalamandalam, Shoranur, in a family of Kathakali
aficionados.

The following resources were used as references for the article
1. The National Theatre of Japan, Japan Arts Council website http://www2.ntj.jac.go.jp/unesco/kabuki/en/index.html
2. Centre for Cultural Resources and Training, Ministry of Culture, Government of India website
http://ccrtindia.gov.in/kathakali.php
3. Lecture notes of Kitamura Takeshi Sensei on the Topic Nihon no dentougeinou.
4. http://www.zonkerala.com/articles/kathakali-2.htm

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