Hanuman & Kathakali
The story of the Kalyanasaugandhika from the Mahabharat is set during their 13 year exile in the forests. One day, a beautiful flower with an intoxicating smell wafts on the wind and falls near Draupadi. Fascinated by this flower (called the Kalyanasaugandhika), she asks Bhima to go in that direction and bring back more such flowers. During his travel, Bhima goes through a banana grove where he meets his elder brother Hanuman (the wind god is their common father) and learns a lesson in humility. Bhima then goes on to retrieve the flowers.
When I learned that the Kalyanasaugandhikam was a very popularly depicted story in the Kathakali dance form in Kerala, I realized that this was an excellent opportunity to depict Hanuman himself as the Kathakali performer. The colors are relatively muted when compared with regular Kathakali costumes but they have a charm of their own.
I also discovered that the face paint color in Kathakali is based on the character portrayed.
- Heroic characters use predominantly green in their facepaint (like Krishna or Arjuna).
- A green-red combination is used for a charming or mischievous characters.
- Completely red facepaint with a red beard is used for demons or very fierce characters.
- Hunters and woodsmen are depicted with predominantly black facepaint and a black beard.
- Women usually have yellow/golden facepaint.
- Characters who are noble but have an angry side to them like Shiva or Balarama or Bhima who are depicted with an orange facepaint.
- Characters with dangerous dispositions also have a knife design painted on their face, like a black knife for Yama or a red knife for Ravana.
- Variations occur for characters like Hanuman who is depicted with a white beard which represents very noble characters.