At a time when storytelling, an ancient and intimate tradition is almost going extinct, actress and popular danseuse Aparna Bharani Pillai is trying her best to revive it. Aparna, who runs the Shrine Vailankanni International School, is highlighting storytelling through a kolu festival at her school. The Pudhukottaiyilirundhu Saravanan actress tells DC why she chose this as the theme, besides displaying the kolu dolls of gods and goddesses.
“Natyashastra (a study on performing arts) is nothing but storytelling. In Vedas and puraanas it is said that Brahma wanted to create something which will be available to everyone for upliftment. That’s when Natya veda was created; it was given to Bharata Muni and he taught 100 other munis, which later became moral stories,” Aparna says, adding, “All these dolls were arranged and the backdrop was created by my school children. Basically, I wanted the students to take it as a project, which will interest them and become a learning experience as well.”
Well-known storyteller Bhanu was brought to narrate many moral stories to the children. “The students recreated stories like that of the greedy lion looking into the well, rabbit and the tortoise, thirsty crow, paatti vada sutta kadhai,
Manuneedhi Chozhan story among others. We all know the excerpts of these stories, but not in detail. For example, in the popular Avvaiyar Murugan Sutta Pazham Venuma Sudhadha Pazham Venuma story, people think the tale takes place in Palani, one of the six abodes of Lord Muruga. But it actually happened in yet another abode, Pazhamudhir Cholai. By reviving the artform of storytelling, children get to know the moral values of each of the tales, which they can inculcate. When we narrate stories that have helped us shape our thinking and transform our way of life, we can have the same effect on others too,” Aparna sums up.
