THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After this Thursday, if the techies in Technopark are heard discussing ‘mudras’ and ‘rasas’ for a change and seen surfing about a flower with the name of ‘Kalyanasaugandhikam’, dumping talks on basebands and domains, then it’s far from a technical snag. But a result of the innovative ‘Kathakali night’ planned inside its campus for the very first time.It is Natana, the two-month-old cultural club of Technopark, which has come up with the idea. And guess who is performing? A software engineer working with IBS, who heads the IBS ASP Operations. Sethunath Nair, the performer, has over 13 years of experience in the industry and almost double the years’ bond with Kathakali."It’s always been rock and rap and jazz inside the campus. We wanted something fresh, different and linked to our culture. It is the first programme of Natana after its launch, we wanted it to be special,’’ says S N Nishanth, one of the event coordinators of the cultural grouping. But it was Sethu who helped them zero in on Kathakali as the choice. He picked up ‘Kalyanasaugandhikam’ for the night. "Before the performance, I would explain to them on the theme, narrate the story, characters and its prominence in the entire script. It would help them enjoy the art form better,’’ Sethu says. Sethu had left Kerala for an overseas posting in the late 1990’s and was back only in 2007. In between, he worked in the Middle East and Singapore in various capacities, during which time his love for Kathakali had to take a backseat. But once in his own land, Sethu began dusting away the cobwebs from his passion and continued his training under Kalamandalam Ratheeshan (Margi). Sethu, who is a big-time blogger, is also a contributor to the online website ‘Kathakali.info’. He has a Facebook page on Kathakali which is a hub for serious lovers of the art form. On Thursday, he will be accompanied by Kalamandalam Ratheeshan (as Hanuman), Margi Sukumaran (as Panchali), Margi Venugopal (on ‘chenda’) and Margi Ratnakaran (on ‘maddalam’). Songs are by Kalanilayam Rajeevan, ‘chutti’ by Somdas and costumes by Margi Gopan and party. The coordinators of Natana are an enthusiastic lot; for, the response to the invitations they had sent out for the Kathakali night has so far been overwhelming. On Thursday, if they find the hall packed by 5 pm, they would say, "it means the change has set in.’’
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