Chat-with-artist : Chittani ( Part 1)

Everyone from Karnataka is familiar with Yakshagana, a form of folk dance, but do we know how Yakshagana is actually performed? Google the word and you get hundreds of websites right from Wiki to YouTube videos telling details about artists, their performance, the stories, the songs and many more. But very few sites reveal that Yakshagana is similar to Hindustani Classical music when we compare the style of performance. In Hindustani music, it is quite likely that the Vocalist and the Tabla player are from different places, but they decide which raaga is to be highlighted just before the concert. And as they perform soon after, the audience is mesmerized for the next 2-3 hours! The same happens in Yakshagana too.

Artistes come from different places, mela heads decide who gets which character depending on the actor’s experience, talent and popularity. Every actor thrives to better his previous performance by improvisations, debates, variety in dance, story making without breaking characters. That’s why Yakshagana is so popular, and has such a rich presence in Karnataka. Yakshagana is a stage for some mind-blowing performances, incredible method acting, greatest rivalries, passion, style, history, philosophical debates over the years in Karnataka. There are instances where Artistes have lost everything, from sanity to life jus to become a Hero. Such is the passion for Yakshagana.

Shri Chittani Ramachandra Hegde who won Padmashri award for Yakshagana says “if you ask me to dance Yakshagana now, I will do it right away”!  And when he said this he was 82 years old having already spent 65 years performing Yakshagana not only in India but also in different countries.

One of the most memorable moments in my life happened early this year when I had a great interaction with Shri Chittani Ramachandra Hegde, a noted exponent of Yakshagana. It all started when I was having conversations with Dr G L Hegde, a Yakshagana scholar and Artiste who told me that he would arrange my meeting with Shri Chittani. When we finally met this 82 year old saint he never looked like an old man! He was in a traditional lungi sitting on his wooden cot surrounded by hundreds of awards, gifts, mementos piled up on the shelves and at all possible spaces! We started talking on Yakshagana legends, current popular artistes, their styles and so many diverse topics about Yakshagana.  I could feel his energy in his voice, actions throughout our conversation.