Skip to content
quotesby

'Mani Madhava Chakyar was performing sikhinisalabha... Butterflies fly all around. Some of them fell into the fire below. The anguish was reflected in the actor's eyes. Ha! There they come out without a burn! What a relief! They came again. The actor continued the performance. Only his eyes move: The audience was spellbound. They did not know that an hour has passed!' - About his world famous abhinaya of the shloka shikhinisalabha from Subhadradhananjayam.[18]

Mani Madhava Chakyar#18

PerformanceTheatreEyesAttentionDramaStorytelling

WhatsApp (opens in a new tab)X (opens in a new tab)

About this quote

What does it mean?
During a performance, his eyes conveyed the drama of butterflies, fire, and relief, captivating the audience for an hour without them noticing the time.
In plain terms
His eyes told a dramatic story that held the audience for an hour.
What can you take from it?
Powerful eye expression can sustain audience attention.

Where it applies

  • theatre
  • storytelling
  • ritual performance

Putting it to work

  • train eyes to reflect narrative arcs
  • use pauses to heighten tension

Questions to consider

  • How can eye work be timed to pacing?
  • What cues help audience follow visual storytelling?

Another view

Audience may miss subtleties without proper focus.

More from Mani Madhava Chakyar

  1. 'To Guru Mani Madhava Chakyar, Kutiyattam was more than art, it was life itself' - Mani Madhava Chakkyar: The Master at Work (film) - Kavalam N. Panickar[17]

    Permalink to quote #17

  2. 'The depth of creativity of the author (Mani Madhava Chakyar) is evident from the introductory Shlokas (hymns in Sanskrit) itself ' - Dr. Prem Lata Sharma (not…

    Permalink to quote #19

  3. 'His historic talent was backed up by extraordinary erudition. Behind his wizardry with the eyes lay sustained practice undertaken with devotion and discipline…

    Permalink to quote #16

Related quotes

  1. 'His eyes were the unrivaled wonder of Abhinaya' - P.T. Narendra Menon (connoisseur of art)[14]

    Mani Madhava ChakyarMani Madhava Chakyar quote #14

  2. Whatever he does, he must do in a more decided and daring manner than any one else; he lounges with extravagance, and yawns so as to alarm the reader!

    Lord ByronLord Byron quote #126

  3. We've all seen 'Jewing it up' performances. They are about as miserable to watch as as 'camping it up' performances when representing gays.

    Patrick MarberPatrick Marber quote #1