‘Da Vinci Porul’: How a Kerala artist’s refutations of Dan Brown’s novel became a kathakali play

Leonardo da Vinci is believed to have taken three years to complete The Last Supper, after he started work on the mural in Milan in 1495. But for Da Vinci Porul to progress from conception to stage as a large-scale kathakali play took much longer – just over two decades.

Staged at the Thrissur Regional Theatre on April 1, Da Vinci Porul – which means Decoding Da Vinci – was inspired as much by the Italian artist’s work as by a series of 12 paintings by retired government official Francis Antony Kodankandath.

Anthony created the works in 2003-’04 as a refutation of novelist Dan Brown’s interpretations of The Last Supper in his best-seller The Da Vinci Code, especially his depiction of Mary Magdalene as the wife of Jesus Christ.

Da Vinci Porul uses kathakali, which usually brings Hindu mythological stories to stage, to portray Anthony’s own geometrically-deciphered reading of The Last Supper.

“That Da Vinci used mirror images and a pointed finger to convey hidden messages is well-known,” said 66-year-old Anthony. “I used the same technique to provide evidence that Jesus Christ’s arms when extended as X and a circle drawn at the axis points reveal the Holy Grail and the Holy Bread.”

At the end of the kathakali play, Jesus Christ and some angels appear on the stage to bless Da Vinci for depicting the situation correctly.

The dance project has its seeds in a meeting Anthony had with musicologist AD Madhavan and his wife Radha Madhavan in 2006 in connection with a musical journal the couple were producing.

That is when AD Madhavan realised that Anthony’s paintings of the Biblical episode could be turned into a kathakali play.

“After many conversations with him on his interpretations and understanding, my husband suggested that I write a story [inspired by the paintings] that could be adapted to kathakali form,” Radha Madhavan said.

The 80-year-old Radha Madhavan was the perfect candidate for the project. After all, she had already written 18 kathakali plays, many on unconventional themes.

For Da Vinci Porul, she drew on her experience of writing Divyakarunyacharitham about the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ as a kathakali play in 2012. She is also familiar with Christian lore, having read the Bible many times.

Despite this, she “was in a quandary about how to approach the writing”, Radha Madhavan said. It took her a while to convince herself that she could pull this off.

“I am sure even Da Vinci must have brooded over the presentation of The Last Supper, Jesus Christ and the 12 apostles,” she said. “My quandary was perhaps even bigger – how to write and present Anthony’s interpretations in a kathakali-friendly format.”

The eureka moment came late one night, around 2. Radha Madhavan decided to open with Mary Magdalene on stage wondering if future generations would continue to link her romantically with Jesus Christ and if Christ’s teachings would still percolate down to his followers.

“Once I got the idea for the opening act, it became relatively easier,” said Madhavan.

Once the “attakatha” or narrative was written, things moved faster. The Madhavans and Anthony asked Sadanam Balakrishnan to direct the play, while kathakali singer Ram Mohan was roped in to compose the music.

The project excited Balakrishnan, now 82, who had already created kathakali adaptations of French writer Pierre Corneille’s Le Cid, Moliere’s Psyché, William Shakespeare’s Othello and Macbeth as well as Euripides’ Greek plays Alcestes and Helen.

“I have always been interested in staging new stories,” Balakrishnan said. “With Porul, I realised that it had to be different but not so much as to alienate it from kathakali.”

The main character of Porul is Da Vinci, “not Jesus Christ or anyone else”, Balakrishnan said. He had seen the painting in Milan and understood that Da Vinci’s actions could not be portrayed in traditional kathakali style.

In 2014, a smaller version of Porul was staged in Kozhikode under the banner of the Chavara Cultural Centre. Balakrishnan himself played Da Vinci.

Kathakali, as audiences know, uses codes of elaborate make-up to signal a character’s moral character. Balakrishnan decided to give Da Vinci the pachha vesham or green make-up because green is identified with dignity in kathakali, he said.

Judas got the karutha thadi or black beard, which is used by those playing demonic roles and Mary Magdalene the stree vesham that women usually get. Jesus Christ was a simple figure.

“Since the story was written in easily understood Malayalam, choreographing with appropriate mudras and movements was not difficult,” said Balakrishnan.

Last year, Francis Kodankandath asked the YMCA Thrissur if the organisation would host a full-scale version of Da Vinci Porul. It was decided to stage it on Maundy Thursday.

“The 600-seater auditorium was packed, and everyone enjoyed it,” said YMCA president Joju Manjila.

In the audience was Archbishop Mar Andrews Thazhath of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church and Metropolitan Mar Awgin Kuriakose of the Chaldean Syrian Church.

Kalamandalam Sajan, who had assisted Balakrishnan in 2014, took up the directorial reins. “I fine-tuned it a bit after consulting Radha madam,” said Sajan. “Jesus Christ, now played by Kalamandalam Rajeevan, was given a more dignified vesham. As Ram Mohan was not available, new singers were brought in.”

Ram Mohan took two days to set Madhavan’s lyrics to music. “I have tried to retain the Kathakali mood in the tuning while bringing in the church choir and Christian folk feeling to the singing,” he said. “It was quite challenging.”

Peesapilly Rajeevan had the tough job of fitting into the kireedam (head gear) of the venerated Balakrishnan. “On being contacted three months back for the role, I read up and enquired around and felt that Da Vinci was spiritual rather than religious,” he said. “As an artist, this was the most difficult role I have played.”

Manoj, who played Judas, faced a challenge: his role was not illuminated by any singing and he had only the backing of the chenda drum. “I had to emote Judas’ dilemma as he is all set to betray Jesus after having accepted 30 silver coins only through actions,” he said.

The performers and the organisers all hope that the Da Vinci Porul will have the opportunity to travel widely, especially in these polarised times.

“Isn’t it amazing that the artists from another community were enacting Biblical characters?” said Manjila of the YMCA. “This play has the potential to be staged across the country.”

Retired journalist Sunil Warrier is a theatre and dance lover.