ശൂർപ്പണഖാങ്കം കൂടിയാട്ടം - Koodiyattam -Soorpanakaangam

ശ്രീ രാമൻ - സൂരജ് നമ്പ്യാർ; സീത - ആതിര ഹരിഹരൻ; ലളിത - ഉഷ നങ്ങ്യാർ; ലക്ഷ്മണൻ - നേപഥ്യ ശ്രീഹരി ചാക്യാർ; ശൂർപ്പണഖ - സജീവ് നാരായണ ചാക്യാർ; മിഴാവ് - കലാമണ്ഡലം രാജീവ് കലാമണ്ഡലം നാരായണൻ നമ്പ്യാർ; കലാമണ്ഡലം വിനീഷ്; കലാമണ്ഡലം വിജയ്; ഇടക്ക - കലാനിലയം ഉണ്ണികൃഷ്ണൻ; താളം - കലാമണ്ഡലം വിജിത; ചുട്ടി & അണിയറ - കലാമണ്ഡലം വൈശാഖ്
സ്ഥലം : പുഴയ്ക്കൽ; തൃശൂർ
തിയതി : 1 -1 - 2025
Shurpanakhankam (The tale of Shurpanaka)
Sooraj Nambiar (Sree Rama)
Athira Hariharan (Seetha)
Nepathya Sreehari Chakyar (Lakshmana)
Usha Nangiar (Lalitha)
Sajeev Narayana Chakyar (Shurpanka)
Shurpanakhankam Koodiyattam
The text for Shurpanakhankam is derived from Sakthibhadra’s Ascharya Choodamani, a Sanskrit play based on the epic of Ramayana. In the performance, Shurpanakha is depicted in 2 forms. The first is the beauty Lalitha (aiming to seduce Sree Rama and Lakshmana) speaking Sanskrit as in Sanskrit dramas and the second is the angry demoness Kari (black) speaking Dravidian language. Apart from the language, the acting techniques depicts the contrast of different cultures while the plot provides an excellent insight of feminine predicament in the two conflicting cultures and a story of longing, desire, self pity, vanity and dignity.
Act 1: The performance begins with Sree Rama and Seetha seated in the Panchavati forest adoring its beauty. The sloka “sailayamidhi” depicts Sree Rama’s description of forest, a noteworthy acting moment. In the next scene, Shurpanakha in the form of “Lalitha” hiding behind a tree is adoring the handsome Sree Rama. She approaches Sree Rama by stating that Lakshmana rejected her marriage proposal and would prefer to marry him instead. Rama sends her back to Lakshmana. On the way back to Lakshmana, Shurpanakha starts a soliloquy that if he rejects her again, she will take her original form. The monologue is a key moment in the performance where Lalita show cases 3 rasas simultaneously, first her love (Sringara) for Rama, followed by anger (Roudra) for Sita and agony(Karuna) over her plight.
Act 2: The second act begins with Lakshmana’s fuming voice (from green room) quoting "stop you meat eating demoness!!“. Both Lakshmana and Shurpanakha (in black costume) emerge onto the stage in which she is seen lifting Lakshmana towards the sky. In the ensuing conflict, Lakshmana mutilates Shurpanakha. Following this, Shurpanakha emerges covered in blood. Before fleeing from the scene, she warns Lakshmana that the humiliation will be avenged.
The tale of Shurpanakha is the single most defining chapter of Ramayana. Until this chapter, Ramayana ebbs and flows with the intra family struggles of the royals. The mutilation of Shurpanakha triggers an unstoppable chain of events, including the abduction of Seetha, assassination of Bali and Ravana before ending in the coronation of Sree Rama.