Note the point! Teacher brings alive kathakali act to deliver clear lesson
The poem 'Swathanthryathinte Chirakukal' was a tough nut to crack, given its poetic imagery and varied emotions. But Preetha Balakrishnan, a high school teacher at the St Antony's HSS, Ernakulam, made it easier for her students by bringing the poem alive on stage in the form of a kathakali act. A trained kathakali artist, she is known for traversing unconventional paths to deliver lessons. She had earlier performed as 'Kali' of Nalacharitham Second Day in 2022 to help her students understand the character better.
In the 'Hamsam' (swan) act, Parvathi Menon, an artist with the Tripunithura Women's Kathakali Troupe, performed as 'Nalan' alongside Preetha.
'The previous book had a portion from 'Nalacharitham Second Day' where 'Kali', the incarnation of evil thoughts, convinces Pushkaran, the brother of Nalan to dethrone the king. The students said my performance helped them understand the lessons better. So, as the syllabus changed, I decided to perform as 'Hamsam' to help students understand the imagery,' Preetha told TNIE.
While the poem starts with the bird pleading with the king, she added Nalan's monologue where he is tormented by love.
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