The Theatre Times: Sitting cross-legged on the floor, Margi Raveendran Nair’s hands are rock steady as he carefully draws thin white stripes on a black background. Eyebrows furrowed and lips pursed, he is a picture of concentration as each white line is added to complete the chutti (make-up) of Sadanam Vishnuprasad playing the role of the villainous Nivathakavachan in Kalakeyavadham Kathakali for a play at Margi Natyagriham in the city.
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It was very interesting to read about this old practice. What I found most interesting about this practice was the makeup itself – no artificial makeup that comes from a chemists’ lab. All. Natural. The makeup that Raveendran used was all completely natural – ground rice, lime, various herbs. It goes to show that you don’t always need these wildly expensive makeups. Granted, what Raveendran is using is more of a paint, and will not apply quite like your typical makeup, but it is so very refreshing to see that these traditional practices are being upheld and are continually used despite how much makeup has progressed. They are holding on to the past and not letting it go. In my opinion, in the modern day and age, many people are losing touch with their pasts, forgetting family traditions, neglecting to appreciate everything that has happened in the past to get us to where we are today as a society and as a species. One thing that has not changed, traditional makeup or not, is time. The application of one of these looks takes four hours. This is no small time commitment, these actors are in for the long haul. That being said, some makeup heavy shows, or just makeup for an awards show, can easily take just as long. Some things truly never change.
I remember learning about Kathakali performances early on during Foundations of Drama II last semester, so I think it’s really interesting to build upon that and read about some of the application processes of the makeup. It’s pretty cool that all of the face paints are made using natural ingredients like stones, herbal powders, flowers, and oils. While it would probably be more efficient to buy factory made makeup, it’s amazing that they hold true to their customs, and the colors seem just as vibrant and pigmented as any other kind of manufactured body paint except for it’s completely handmade!It’s also inspiring to see a man who’s worked on this skill for over thirty years and the amount of time/ learning from others went into getting where he is. It kind of puts into perspective how mastering something takes time, and that you don’t need to be so perfect and successful in your craft when you’re only 20.
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