Thursday, March 12, 2009

Caricature by Jayraj Warrier


More than in any other part of India, the art of mimicry is extremely popular in Kerala. This has resulted in the existence of a horde of mimicry artists there and no cultural function is considered complete without their performance. One man stands out from the rest in that he is a specialist in caricature rather than mimicry. His name is Jayaraj Warrier, an immensely talented artiste, also adept at singing, poetry recital and compering. Unlike many others, he does not have to tell who he is imitating, be it from the film world, literature or politics because the audience is immediately able to relate with the character. For eg. close your eyes and listen when he imitates a megastar of Malyalam screen.The performance in these videos was held a few years back and hence, some of the issues may appear to be a little dated, nonetheless, their relevance is not diminished. He talks about the significance of Onam, the national festival of Kerala and takes you on a tour of the state from the southern most district to the northern, highlighting the flavour of each region and introducing famous personalities from these places. At the end of Part 1 , his narration reaches Kollam or Quilon.Hope you enjoy as much as the audience did.

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