Kannur: The ambiance was raving. Magnificent kireedams (headgear), chuttithuni, kazhutharam (neck piece), kachamani (bell), armlets and jewelry hung from a rope—precisely how a Kathakali green room would look like. Appunithakaran was skillfully slinging a costume on the rope when this reporter approached him. His voice trailed when he tried to speak loudly.
"I haven't missed a Kalolsavam. Not even one. This is my 57th year helping the budding Kathakali artistes dress up for their event," said the 87-year-old, who is an expert in Uduthukettu (the technique of draping the skirt of Kathakali costume).
When asked about how he came to this field, he said his family situation was too bad that he had to accept whatever job he got at that point in time. For him, this career was not a choice; it was something he did for survival.
Appuni was 14 when he reached Ollapamanna Mana in search of a job. "They used to play Kathakali most of the days and I learned the art of Uduthukettu. Later, I joined a troupe from where I went to work in Kalamandalam, Kottakal, and Gandhi Seva Sadhanam, all because of god's grace," he said.
During the conversation, his face suddenly lightened up as if he remembered something. He paused for a second and when he spoke again, there was a sparkle in his eyes.
"Mole (daughter), did you know this: I helped Mohanlal to dress up as a Kathakali artiste in the movie Vanaprastham. Were you aware of this?" Appunithakaran asked. (Of course, not! This reporter barely had any idea about that.)
"I did Uduthukettu for him and how can I forget that moment…Mohanlal was exceptional. He was as good as a Kathakali artiste with 12 years of experience. No one would say that it was his first attempt," remembers Appuni.
Appuni also remembers that Mohanlal was all praises when he came to know about his expertise in Uduthukettu. "He told me that he was lucky to get dressed up by someone who had been doing it with so much sincerity for years," he beamed with pride as he talked about his experience with the Malayalam superstar.
According to Appuni, there has been an evolving change in the way the costumes are made in Kathakali. Innovative thinking and the thirst to experiment have created a lot of changes. His children Kalamandalam Sivaraman, Unnikrishnan and Mohanan help him in Uduthukettu.
So, did he ever felt like learning Kathakali? "No, I don’t have such regrets. I didn’t even think of doing Uduthukettu. I just wanted to survive and this was all I knew. And I chose to live happily with whatever I had," said Appuni.
A few participants came back to the green room after their performances and Appuni got ready to help them remove their vesham (costume). "See, it's not just about Uduthukettu. There's a particular way to remove it. Everything has a way of doing it," he said, while skilfully taking off a participant's headgear.
Before getting down to business, he said he would meet this reporter next year, if he is still in good health. "How can I miss a Kalolsavam," he laughed.