An Artiste's Journey 2- Thilagavathi and her tryst with Kattai Koothu

Thilagavathi has been away from home helping those stranded by the recent cyclone Nivar. When I am able to get through to her, she has just returned home to have a quick lunch and is heading out again to carry food packets to those who might need it. But she does chat about her journey in a world rather different from this!

Thilagavathi's father and uncles were Katti Koothu artistes, carrying their art with them to places near and far. Thilagavathi grew up absorbing the art as it tempered most conversations at home. But her own tryst with the art form as a performer began when she was a mere 11 years old. P. Rajagopal had just opened an Institution to teach and nurture the art form and asked Thilagavathi's father to send her as a student. A few cousins and friends from her native village of Mulawadi in Ranipet district were enrolled to learn the art form at Rajagopal's residential Institute. For someone who grew up with Kattai koothu, Thilagavathi by her own admission was rather carefree about the artform and her own investment in it in the early years of her training. As  a young child, the living quarters, the food, clothes and the people she met fascinated Thilagavathi who came from a humble home where savings were meagre and luxuries unheard of. "I owe it to my teacher", says Thilagavathi, "for the years that he invested in our learning. We schooled through the open-schooling system until the 12th grade too." Through the 8 years that Thilagavathi stayed at her teacher's school in Kanchipuram, her instinctive creative talent was honed. The outcome was an absolute love for the artform and a dedication that has seen Thilagavathi through several challenges. 

Kattai Koothu for the uninitiated, is a theatre form with origins in Southern India. The name derives from "Kattai" which means wood because all ornaments worn by the artiste are made of wood; and theatre forms in the Tamil language are referred to as 'Koothu'. Kattai koothu dramas are all night musicals presenting stories from the Mahabharatha. Over the years, artistes have diversified the content into exploring narratives of social significance too.  Kattai koothu has been an art form practiced primarily by men. Thilagavathi was the first woman Kattai koothu artiste, a badge that she wears with much responsibility. 

"It was not without opposition that I became the first woman Kattai koothu artiste." she says. " When I decided that I would not pursue any academic field of study for college and chose to pursue Kattai Kothu professionally, there were relatives who opposed it. People in the village assumed that my reputation would be marred. My father and uncles too were very apprehensive. The other girls who learnt kattai koothu with me were married off by then and the pressure to marry me off too was huge on my parents. I resisted." Thilagavathi's is a voice of resilience and confidence. A woman making headway in a field that has for generations been the forte of men is bound to face opposition. 'How would she travel and perform in temples when she was on her period?'... 'Would it be safe for her to do all-night shows?'...'Would her reputation not suffer?' Questions were many about how Thilagavathi could prove herself in a 'male' art form. But Thilagavathi had an answer. "'Would you trust your daughter or the nay-sayers of the village- I asked my father. They were under a lot of pressure to fall in line but I believed in myself and my abilities to take this art form forward. The years have been anything but easy, but when you are consumed by a love for koothu like mine, there is no other way than to immerse yourself in it." she asserts. 

After spending over 10 years at her teacher's Institute both as a student and as an apprentice, Thilagavathi made a brave decision to move to Chennai with the support and motivation from mentors and friends. She worked as a program manager at an arts firm and did kattai kothu performances simultaneously because it was important for her to be financially independent and invest creatively in the art at the same time. Thilagavathi started to build a repertoire that also spoke of socially relevant issues. "I believe that the art is not just mere entertainment. It can be a tool of change. It can be a tool to educate."

In the kind of society Thilagavathi grew up in, it was unheard of for a girl to have an opinion or speak up. Thilagavathi has broken regressive norms that persisted in villages like hers simply by being herself- a woman self-assured and confident. Her tryst with Kattai Koothu has not just enabled her to be a performer but also to become a role model for the young children of her village. "If I have gained a voice for myself, I owe it to my training in this art form, the places I travelled to around the world and the vast number of people I interacted with. I must now make all this available to the young children of my village." She returned to her village to set up a Kattai Koothu company and teaching institute a few years ago. She teaches the art to the young children of her village. A few have over the years joined her company too. They even use the money that they receive for performances to fund their education. The Company has reached out to other villages as well through performances and workshops. When the pandemic hit, Thilagavathi's Company also suffered but that has not deterred her from reaching out to those who could help and becoming a channel for those who need financial assistance. "A large number of Nagaswaram and Tavil vidwans, travelling musicians and koothu artistes have been hit badly. I have been able to connect donors to about 200 families so far. We will tide over this too." Thilagavathi says, with calm. 

Published in VIDURA, a journal of the Press Institute of India. Do not reprint or republish without permission from the Editor.