It was a celebration of the return of five forgotten women — Ahalya, Tara, Sita, Mandodari and Draupadi — who had disappeared from the Koodiyattam stage over the years. The five-day Panchakanya festival, held recently at Thrissur, that featured performances, paper presentations, seminars and discussions on the five epic heroines, also marked a milestone for Usha Nangiar, who led the …
Koodiyattam cannot alienate itself from Tamil or Tamizhagam, though it is a Sanskrit theatre tradition popular in Kerala. Viewed against this backdrop, Kapila Venu’s latest choreography in Nangiarkoothu – ‘Madurai Veeran Kathai’ – is a pathbreaker. A warrior turned family deity Madurai Veeran is a folk deity popular in Southern Tamil Nadu. During his stay in Madurai, Veeran sees the …
