Kathakali is a classical dance drama form from Kerala, India known for its elaborate costumes and makeup. It combines elements of dance, music, acting, and visual art to tell stories through hand gestures (mudras), facial expressions, rhythmic body movements, and song. Performances last several hours and feature large makeup designs including ridges on the face. Characters are portrayed through specific facial paint colors and styles that represent qualities like good, evil, and divine.

1. KATHAKALI
Presented By:
Saveen Verma
Tarun Kumar
Batch-C
(The Confluence of Dance, Music, Theatre and Visual Art)

2. Kathakali is the most well
known dance drama from
the south Indian state of
Kerala. The
word Kathakali literally
means "Story-Play". It is
known for its
large, elaborate makeup and
costumes.

3. Elements of Kathakali
• Expressions (Natyam, the component with emphasis
on facial expressions)
• Dance (Nritham, the component of dance with
emphasis on rhythm and movement of hands, legs
and body)
• Enactment (Nrithyam, the element of drama with
emphasis on "mudras", which are hand gestures)
• Song/vocal accompaniment (Geetha)
• Instrument accompaniment (Vadyam

4. They are
• Angika — pertaining to the body and its limbs.
• Vachika — relating to the vocal including
proper pronunciation, modulation of voice
accents and percussion
• Satvika — representation of psychic condition
• Ahraya — costume, make-up, stage props etc
Techniques

5. Details of kathakali
• Performance is done in front of
big oil lamp, ie Kalivilakku
• Language of the song used for
kathakali is Manipravalam
•Main instruments played are Chenda, maddalam,
chengila, edakka, ilathalam

6. MAKE-UP
• Kathakali make-up is an
elaborate process lasting for
3 hours.
• The most elaborate part of
the make up is the chutti (a
series of white ridges built
up from the chin to the
either side of the cheek).

7. • Pacha(Green face)-
heroic, kingly and
divine type
• Kari (Black-face)-
lady-demons (or
witches in Indian epic)
• Kathi( knife)-arrogant
and ante-hero

8. • Thadi (beard)- ella
Thadi or white beard for
superhuman monkeys like
Hanuman ; Chu vanna
Thadi or red beard for evil
characters for evil
characters and Karutha
Thadi or black beard for
the hunter.
• Minukku (lady)- the
heroines, servants,etc

9. • There are 24 Basic Mudras (hand gestures) in
the "Hasthalakshana Deepika", the book of
hand gestures, which Kathakali is followed.
There are 'Asamyutha Mudras' (that is
shown using single hand) and 'Samyutha
Mudras' (mudras shown in double hands) in
each Basic Mudras, to show different
symbols.
KATHAKALI MUDRAS

11. Navaras