Padayani as an Indian Epic Drama

Abstract

Padayani, the time-tested folk art of Southern Kerala, is deep-rooted in the cultural ethos of rural life. Any old but existing art form that blends uniquely life and myth provides a kaleidoscopic view of the people’s cultural variety and the underlying unitary vision behind the phenomenon. Folk arts have been called fossils of a distant past. It is a call from the distant past reaching out to the present. The paper deals with the Epic nature of Padayani and the showcase the scope of Padayani highlighting ‘Padayani as an Epic Drama”. Padayani in its total structure and style is an epic drama. How many characters! How many conflicting incidents! The natural costumes; the natural light settings; the deep back  colour of  the night  curtain  around;  the  anti heroine  appearing  in  frenzy  mood  is lead to the smiling  mood.  Along with the mental change of the heroine, the nature, the black colour of the curtain and even the mind of the spectators together undergo to that smiling mood – expecting a better and auspicious atmosphere.