How certain ragas in Kathakali evoke specific emotions and serve dramatic purposes

The unique musical tradition of Kathakali explored at The Music Academy’s lec dem session

Day 9 of the academic sessions at The Music Academy started off with a captivating lec dem by Nedumbally Ram Mohan and Meera Ram Mohan on ‘Abhinaya Sangeetam of Kathakali: The Blend of Raga and Bhava’. The session explored the unique musical tradition of Kathakali, focusing on its distinct use of ragas, emotional expression (bhava), and structural frameworks. They emphasised that Kathakali music differs significantly from Carnatic music, both in its melodic and emotive approaches.

They began by discussing how certain ragas in Kathakali evoke specific emotions and serve dramatic purposes. For instance, Paadi, a janya of Maya Malavagowla, is used to depict villainous characters in romantic padas like Duryodhana and Ravana. Ram Mohan demonstrated a four-kalai padam, typically employed in yuddha (battle) sequences or to convey veera rasa (heroism). The presentation also highlighted indigenous ragas such as Indalam, and Kanakurunji. The latter is often used to portray helplessness, exemplified in scenes such as Kunti asking for help from Bakasura. The presenters explained that Kathakali compositions primarily consist of padams and shlokas, with talas playing a crucial role in shaping emotional depth.

The Mohans demonstrated raga Dwijavanti, often associated with pleading, which acquires a different emotional tone when rendered in madhyama sruti. Similarly, Punnagavarali conveys sorrow, as in Sita’s lament to Hanuman, but transforms into a more devotional mood when sung in madhyama sruti, as demonstrated by Ram Mohan while singing a soliloquy from the story of Sudhama and Krishna. He elaborated on how shifts in sthayi (octaves) alter moods — Bhairavi, for example, evokes romance in madhyama sthayi but helplessness in higher octaves. Ragas such as Sahana, Senchuruti, and Begada were also analysed for their emotive versatility.

The session emphasised that Kathakali music is applied music, deeply tied to dramatic context rather than standalone performance. Ram Mohan demonstrated how tonal stress and variations must synchronise with the movements of the actors. He illustrated it with Bhima’s killing of Duryodhana using Saranga raga.

The interplay of sthayi bhava (dominant emotion) and sanchari bhava (transitory emotions) was also discussed, showcasing how Kathakali integrates music and drama seamlessly.

During the Q and A session,  a comment was also made from a member of executive committee about the perception that singing for dance is inferior to proscenium singing, emphasising the need to change such attitudes. V. Sriram remarked that K.V. Narayanaswamy’s practice of singing phrases in both lower and higher octaves might have been influenced by Kathakali music, as demonstrated by the presenters. Vidwan T.M. Krishna concluded the session by highlighting the importance of emotion and tonality in Kathakali music. He drew attention to the role of non-musical tones in dramatisation, saying that there is also emotion in the way the non-musical tones are used. He also noted the density of the sahitya, where for instance, scenes expressing veera rasa (heroism) would have denser lyrics, while sringara rasa (romance) would feature sparser text, paralleling it to human speech patterns where anger produces rapid, intense speech. Krishna also argued that Kathakali ragas possess their own lakshana (structure) and lakshya (expression) independent of Carnatic classifications. He urged listeners to stop associating Kathakali ragas with dominant Carnatic equivalents and to recognise their distinct identity. Krishna also noted that the syllables of the text did not match the beat of the tala, to which Ram Mohan explained that there are markers and there are beginning and end points, but in between, the syllable / text can be sung in a free flow manner because the music is improvised. An audience member requested Krishna to present a Kathakali padam in one of his concerts, to which he responded thoughtfully, emphasising the importance of respecting the aesthetic framework of Kathakali rather than imposing external interpretations.

This session offered valuable insights into the distinct musical and dramatic world of Kathakali, highlighting its unique grammar, emotive depth, and cultural significance. It also sparked critical reflections on preserving tradition while appreciating cross-genre influences.