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New Indian Express

Note the point! Teacher brings alive kathakali act to deliver clear lesson

KOCHI: As the golden swan flew into the stage flapping its wings and swaying to the rhythm of chenda, the eyes of the students gleamed in excitement. The golden swan slowly settled on a rock and started preening its feathers, and slowly dozed off when King Nala, who was strolling in the garden, caught it. The bird pleads for its life and the king releases it. 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.