What is special about Kathakali Make-Up?
"In the animated silence of the green-room some actors lie on the floor and go to sleep, while the make-up men place the white rice-paste round their faces layer by layer with careful and patient hands. Others squat before the oil lamps, little mirrors in hand, to complete the elaborate patterns of their masks with colours (sic) prepared by themselves." (Boner 63)
What are the seven basic make-up types?
Pages 53-55 of Phillip Zarrilli's book, Kathakali Dance-Drama: Where Gods and Demons Come to Play, lists the seven basic make-up types as being:
'green' (pacca) - used for divine g-ds (Vishnu and Krishna), royalty and epic heroes.
'ripe' (payuppu) - used for four specific g-ds (Brahma, Shiva, Surya, and Balarama).
'knife' (katti) - used for characters who are evil or arrogant, but with redeeming aspects.
'beard' (tati) - used for characters who wear special beards (in various colors to signify their nature).
'radiant' (minukku) - used for the most idealized female heroines and the purest and spiritually perfect men (such as sages).
'special' (teppu) - used for characters that do not fit into any of the above descriptions.
'green' (pacca) - used for divine g-ds (Vishnu and Krishna), royalty and epic heroes.
'ripe' (payuppu) - used for four specific g-ds (Brahma, Shiva, Surya, and Balarama).
'knife' (katti) - used for characters who are evil or arrogant, but with redeeming aspects.
'beard' (tati) - used for characters who wear special beards (in various colors to signify their nature).
- 'white beard' (vella tati) - used for characters to represent a higher type of being.
- 'red beard' (cuvanna tali) - used for characters who are vicious, vile and evil.
- 'black beard' (karutta tati) - used for characters who are evil and also schemers.
'radiant' (minukku) - used for the most idealized female heroines and the purest and spiritually perfect men (such as sages).
'special' (teppu) - used for characters that do not fit into any of the above descriptions.
How is make-up applied and does it take a long time?
Please check out the videos below!