Yakshanataka after six decades

Mangaluru: Yakshanataka, a 60-year-old Yakshagana variant that was staged on drama platforms, will be back in the coastal city next month. Sai Shakti Yakshagana Balaga will be experimenting by staging a Yakshanataka – ‘Shwethakumara Charitre’— at the Town Hall in the city on July 3.
According to balaga members, Yakshanataka, also known as ‘seenu seenariya Yakshagana’ was being staged in Mangaluru in tents, 60 years ago.
Unlike traditional Yakshagana, the bhagawat (singer) will not be on the stage in Yakshanataka, which is performed with a drama stage setting.
Concept artiste Kadri Navaneeth Shetty said that six decades ago, the Karnataka Yakshagana Nataka Sabha was staging Yakshanataka in a tent at the Kendra Maidan, throughout the year.
“Yakshagana exponent Kalladi Vittal Shetty was the pioneer of Yakshanataka then. The decades-old Yakshanataka will be presented with modifications and a new format. Artistes including students of Nitte and SDM institutes will present the two-and-a-half-hour Yakshanataka ‘Shwethakumara Charitre’ on a stage designed for the purpose. The Yakshanataka will be presented with various scenes that resemble the drama backgrounds,” Shetty said.
In Yakshanataka, ‘himmela’ (background musicians) will not sit on the stage. They will be sitting in front of the stage, facing the artistes. Rituals like ‘Chowki puje’ and Yakshagana costumes will be used in Yakshanataka too. In Yakshagana dialogues are delivered by the artistes while looking at the audience. In Yakshanataka, the dialogues are delivered while looking at characters on stage, he said.
Produced by Lavanya Das and Vishwas Kumar Das, the Yakshanataka is directed by Rakshith Shetty Padre. The Yakshanataka team comprises Chinmaya Bhat, Lavakumar, Shridhar Vitla and Samartha on the stage, he said, adding that there will be no entry fee for the show.