Kerala Stories

As Kathakali continues its evolution from a 16th century dance-drama-musical in palaces and temples to modern day settings (one of the most memorable performances my wife and I saw was at Kalakshetra in Chennai), it is now entering the informal and intimate spaces where you are just a few feet away from the performers and the connect is immediate. This performance at a hall near us was mesmerising. The setting may have been informal but the Kalamandalam troupe that performed were top class as they regaled us with Attakatha staples such as Kuchela's story, Gitopadhesam, and Panchali's lament to Krishna. We've seen at first hand the rigour that goes into making a Kalamandalam artiste and deeply appreciate the toil and many years it takes to produce such magic.

  In memory of MGS Narayanan (20.08.1932 - 26.04.2025). A historian with strong opinions who freely courted controversy, this was a man I would definitely have met had I pursued my book on Malabar. His book was widely talked about but unavailable anywhere and I'm thankful to my brother Venu for having gifted me a copy. It's a big book demanding a lot of time and I certainly haven't read it in full. One of the regrets is that it ends in 1766 when the last Zamorin commits suicide in the face of Tipu Sultan's invasion. As MGS himself says in his foreword, much has changed in Calicut since then and the city awaits another book to chronicle that story. My own exploration was to see if Malabar was having a renaissance after over 200 years of decline but I couldn't find data to corroborate that hypothesis and so the book idea lapsed.