Kathakali maestro Kalamandalam Gopi’s ‘shatabhishekam’ celebrated, sans festivity One need not be a connoisseur of Kathakali to find Kalamandalam Gopi delectable on stage. The master may be a purist’s delight, yet it actually takes only minimal sense of beauty to sense the extraordinariness of his performance. This sweet irony of being both the entry-level charmer and the ultimate virtuoso of the dance-theatre makes Gopi special. That remains unchanged even as he turned 84 this week. Pleasant paradoxes At least a couple of more pleasant paradoxes decorate Gopi’s career spanning seven decades. Both have contributed to his stardom for half a century now. One, the painted face that presents an ideal mix of masculine and feminine features. Adding, Gopi’s grammar which uniquely blends method acting with the right dose of realism.