Sethunath Nair – Natana Talent of the Month

>>”Stay deeply rooted while reaching for the sky  Be still long enough to hear your own leaves rustling”- says the famous quote. And here is a man who rooted himself deep into his own tradition, while reaching out for the infinities of Information Technology- for Kathakali is his passion and despite belonging to the busy-round-the-clock-IT community, he finds ample time to nurture his vehemence for this traditional art of Kerala. He is Sethunath Nair, who presently heads the ASP Operations of IBS, though more popularly known among the techies for his art. He has over 13 years of experience in the industry and has worked in Middle East and Singapore in various capacities specializing in Oracle and Database Administration.

 

Sethu started learning Kathakali at the age of nine under reputed teachers including Kalamandalam Sreekumar (Head of Kathakali, RLV College, Tripunithura). He performed professionally at different temples and Kathakali clubs all over the state. Currently he is practicing under Kalamandalam Ratheesan (Principal, Margi).

 

Moreover, Sethu, a dedicated Kathakali artist, exploits the potential of technology and social networking in promoting Kathakali online, to save it from being sidelined in the scurried life of present day youth. He opened up a group for Kathakali lovers in Facebook which rightly serves as a platform for a lot of creative initiatives and fruitful discussions on rejuvenating the art, besides contributing keenly to various online sites like kathakali.info. He is also a prolific blogger (nishkkalankan.blogspot.com) and an excellent photographer.

 

‘Kathakali Night’ organized by Natana at Travancore Hall, Technopark was a platform where his colleagues and fellow techies could witness the artist in him take its fullest profile. The romantic Bheema of Mahabharatha conquered the hearts of viewers on his way through jungles in search of Kalyanasaugandhikam for his lovely wife, Panchali. It was indeed a night when the techies discovered a Kathakali lover in themselves.

 

Hailing from Alapuzha, he stays in Trivandrum with wife Vidya and daughter Madhuchandra.