Karnatic Meets Kattaikkuttu Notes on an Unusual Cultural Conversation Hanne M

Karnatic Meets Kattaikkuttu Notes on an Unusual Cultural Conversation Hanne M. de Bruin

On 16 December 2017, Karnatic Meets Kattaikkuttu: A Cultural Conversation premiered at St. Andrews Auditorium in Mumbai’s cosmopolitan suburb of Bandra.1 The 800-seat auditorium is a typical proscenium theatre. Generally, it hosts popular music concerts, English- language theatre, dance performances, and comedy shows; occasionally, there are classical Western, jazz, and Indian music concerts. Programs are designed for the city’s middle-class audiences. A second performance of Karnatic Meets Kattaikkuttu took place at the small indoor

1. I was able to write this essay thanks to a 2018 fellowship of the International Research Center for the Interweaving of Performance Cultures in Berlin, Germany. Note on transliteration: Tamil words are transliterated according to the usage of the Tamil Lexicon (1924 –1936) and Sanskrit terms follow the transliteration found in most Sanskrit dictionaries. Such words include names of deities, epic characters, lesser known theatre forms (e.g., katt≥ aikkūttu),≥ and local caste names (e.g., Vann≥ ār).≥ To enhance readability these words will be reproduced with diacrictics on first use only. The spell- ing of names of villages (Perungattur, Punjarasantankal) are spelled as they appear on road signs, festival notices, etc. The names of larger towns (Kanchipuram, Chennai) are given in their anglicized forms. Finally, terms of

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- ≥ aikkūttu: ≥ t t Ka

“modern” “modern” Karnatic Meets Meets Karnatic

of excerpt A typical karnatic con- 4 Thus karnatic concert music and kattaik- 3 Disrobing of Draupadi Draupadi of Disrobing labels that in terms of prestige are equivalent to “high” “high” prestige are equivalent to labels that in terms of , are given in their anglicized forms without without forms anglicized Dictionarytheir in given are , English Oxford —

; Institut Français de de Français ; Institut Pukalentippulavar by A Play Death: ≥a’s had a slightly different cast, with R. Devan substituting substituting Devan R. with cast, different slightly a had Kattaikkuttu KarnaticMeets kuttu’s regular patrons, as well as a number of urban theatre enthusiasts. as a number of urban as well patrons, kuttu’s regular

Indian origin, which are listed in the online the in listed are which origin, Indian nagasvaram). and ghatam, dholak, mridangam, bhakti, Dhobi, Brahmin, (e.g., diacritics performance second The of for B. Mageshwaran as Duhsasana. as Mageshwaran B. for the by up set was It drama. and dance, music, for academy national India’s is Akademi Natak Sangeet The performing the of body apex the as functions academy The 1952. in arts preserve to and India of Government artand union and states in academies governments with works also It India. of heritage cultural vast the promote 1959. established in Delhi, New in Drama of School National the including country, the of territories music. hindustani is form other The brought together four collaborators: karnatic vocalist Thodur Karnatic karnatic vocalist four collaborators: brought together Meets Kattaikkuttu 2. 3. 4. cert consists of a vocalist supported by a violin player to enhance the melodic flow and its cert consists of a vocalist supported by a Madabusi Krishna; kattaikkuttu actor, director, and playwright Perungattur Ponnusami playwright Perungattur and director, actor, Krishna; kattaikkuttu Madabusi The as a scholar and dramaturg. Sangeetha Sivakumar; and myself Rajagopal; karnatic vocalist the same space was for us a music and kattaikkuttu theatre shared fact that karnatic concert continuum that divides the Indian per The forms occupy opposite ends of a political statement. forming arts into “classical” and “folk” and “classical” forming arts into - polit These labels are contested, is deliberate. “folk” and “classical” of My bracketing “low.” and the At a national level, arts. reflect the power dynamics within Indian ical constructions that of artistic expressions by conduct- contributed to the classification Indian government actively and interregional dance, between 1953 and 1959 in which regional ing a series of seminars “contemporary”/ and “folk,” “classical,” forms were classified as and theatre music, seminars critically influenced the The policies set out in these 2009). (Cherian 2007; Cherian also contributed to the construc- They arts over the next decades. direction of the performing and theatre affirming the cultural identity music, tion of pan-Indian exemplary models of dance, the Sangeet constructions that underlie model institutions such as of the young nation-state, Akademi and the National School of Drama. Natak Hanne M. de Bruin has researched in depth the rural kattaikkuttu theatre of Tamil Nadu ( Nadu Tamil of in depth the rural kattaikkuttu theatre M. de Bruin has researched Hanne

The Forms classical music forms. Karnatic concert music is one of India’s two auditorium of the Kattaikkuttu Sangam (Kattaikkuttu Association) in Punjarasantankal Village Village in Punjarasantankal Association) Sangam (Kattaikkuttu Kattaikkuttu of the auditorium on 14 AugustArts Festival annual Performing occasion of the Sangam’s Nadu on the Tamil in specta- primarily of rural different audience, an entirely performance addressed This 2018. kattaik tors who are ; Egbert Forsten, 1999), translated an all-night 1999), translated an all-night Forsten, Tradition; Egbert Indian Theatre South of a Flexibility The (Karn kattaikkuttu play into English essays on rural 1998), and has published several women performers and the stigma Pondichéry, she has where cofounded the Kattaikkuttu Sangam, of women actors. She attached to the profession Rajagopal husband P. with her Together been the principal administrator and fundraiser since 1990. ensemble of the Kattaikkuttu theatre people’s young for the professional new repertoire she has created [email protected]; www.kattaikkuttu.org as a codramaturg and costume designer. Gurukulam Figure 1. (facing page) Draupadi (S. Tamilarasi) in the in Tamilarasi) (S. Draupadi page) (facing 1. Figure kuttu theatre need to be understood within specific, social, cultural, and historical contexts. and historical cultural, social, specific, kuttu theatre need to be understood within , with the karnatic musicians behind her. Kattaikkuttu Sangam’s Performing Arts Festival, Festival, Arts Performing Sangam’s Kattaikkuttu karnaticthe with Kattaikkuttu, her. behind musicians PeeVee) by (Photo 2018. August 14 Village, Punjarasantankal Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/dram_a_00856 by guest on 03 October 2021 Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/dram_a_00856 by guest on03 October 2021

52 Hanne M. de Bruin Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Kochi, Kerala, 13January 2019. (Photo by Pepe Gomes) (R. Devan) in the 2. TypicalFigure embellishments.

performance onitsstages. The DecemberfestivalispredominantlyBrahmin, includingmem- self- tival thatoffersa “record numberofconcerts, avastarrayofbrilliantmusiciansandintense karnatic concertmusicanddance. The metropolefeaturesanannualDecembermusicfes- South IndianBrahmins. Chennai, Tamil Nadu’scapital, isnowoftenconsideredtheheartof ago, buthasbeenappropriatedandisdominatedbyasmall, cosmopolitancommunityof There areanumberofoldercompositionsthateroticandsensual. and Kannada. These traditionalcompositionscenteronHindubhakti(devotion)andspirituality. as theghatamorkanjira, ambiance. 8. 7. 6. The 5. kattai vesam Duhsasana makeup and wooden ornaments: Karnatic musicisaneliteconcertformthathadawiderrangeofpractitioners the killing ofa sacrificial animal, which are considered rituallypolluting. and Dalit (former untouchable), who can handle bodily substances such as blood, saliva, or hair, or tasks such as ritual pure status intact, Brahmins require of lower the services castes, such as the Barber, Dhobi (clothes washer), of relative ritualpurity, inwhichtheBrahmins orpriestlycasteoccupythehighestposition. In order tokeeptheir keeps intact an interdependentThe caste system or social stratification into groups that system do not intermarry and Weidman(2006). For an introduction to the intricacies of karnatic music, vocalsee Krishna (2013); Pesch and instrumental (2009); by boxan electronic or an sruti iPad. of the vocalistby or providinganother instrument the drone, or the mridangam. The to support certs strike to its producerounded differentsurface sounds. The the mouth facing the performer’s belly. uses the fingers, thumbs, palms, and heels of the hands Theto performer The both use the mridangam, yet creates the soundscape the instrument for these two forms differs considerably. skin and laced to each other with leather straps around the circumference Karnatic and kattaikkuttu of the drum. ments may vary. Alternatively, may be the lead performer, an instrumentalist - while the configuration of the accompanying instru Disrobing of Draupadi excerpt in absorption ofthemusicalcommunity” (Ganesh2018a), butneverincludesakattaikkuttu ghatam is an earthenware pot with a narrow mouth. The pot is usually placed on the performer’s lap with are wood. The mouths of the drum covered made of jackfruit mridangam is a two-headed drum with a goat- 6 Karnaticmusic’scompositionsprimarilyusefourlanguages:Sanskrit, Telugu, Tamil, 5 The mridangam drumandsometimesadditionalpercussioninstruments, such provide rhythmic layers, whilethetanpura providesthetonicandaural tanpura It, is a long-necked plucked string instrument. sustains the melody Karnatic Kattaikkuttu, kanjira is a kind of tambourine used in karnatic con- . Nowadaysśruti the drone may also be generated political andculturalopposition, anti-Brahmin sentimentsand white-collar jobsledtostrong tion ingovernmentalandother nity. Brahminoverrepresenta- by independentIndia’smoder British colonialregimeandthen opportunities offeredfirstbythe ited disproportionatelyfromthe population, Brahminshaveprof- only fivepercentoftheIndian purity. tinct lifestyleemphasizingritual ity thatexpressesitselfinadis- superiority andreligiousauthor tionally enjoyalevelofritual highest caste, Brahminstradi- age oftheaudiences. As the performers andalargepercent- pora, whoconstituteboththe bers oftheglobalBrahmindias- 8 7 Inspiteofmakingup century - - Karnatic Meets Kattaikkuttu 53 Disrobing of of Disrobing Disrobing of of Disrobing Figure 4. Curtain entrance of Draupadi (S. Tamilarasi) in the in Tamilarasi) (S. Draupadi of entrance Curtain 4. Figure curtain is transparent a of use the Kattaikkuttu; Karnatic in excerpt Draupadi Kochi-Muziris productions. Sangam Kattaikkuttu other and this in innovation an Gomes) Pepe by (Photo 2019. January 13 Kerala, Kochi, Biennale, Figure 3. Curtain entrance during an all-night performanceall-night an during of entrance Curtain 3. Figure by the Kattaikkuttu Young Professionals Company, Marutam Village, Village, Marutam Company, Professionals Young Kattaikkuttu the by Draupadi Sangam) Kumar/Kattaikkuttu Sumanth A. by (Photo 2016. September 24 -

9 10 - wear kuttu. ˘ ams, \s ve stories, interpreted stories,

The opposition had its roots in the Self-Respect Movement started by E.V. Ramasamy in 1926. This movement movement This 1926. in Ramasamy started E.V. by Movement Self-Respect the in roots its had opposition The Brahmin a without solemnized marriages and equality, social groups, non-Brahmin of self-respect advocated 2007). Pandian example for (see culture and identity Dravidian/Tamil partas priest non-Brahmin wider a of owns who of issues wider fore the to brings which debate, of subject the been has form theatre the of naming The furthera (2000). Bruin de see discussion For name. and content, form, its on decides and kattaikkuttu Kattaikkuttu (or terukku\ttu) Kattaikkuttu is extremely 9. According to sociologist Kamala to sociologist Kamala According the narrow social base Ganesh, music is a result of of karnatic elite’s desire both the Brahmin its own dominance to perpetuate conse- and its isolation as a politics quence of anti-Brahmin (Ganesh 2018a). power complex, rich, is a rural, empha- ful form of total theatre Traditionally, sizing the heroic. prerogative kattaikkuttu was the played of male performers who characters; both male and female have been women more recently, introduced in kattaik 10. in particular in Tamil Nadu. Tamil in in particular within a local, cultural, and reli- cultural, within a local, The theatre form gious context. derives its name from the fact that its principal male char Performances focus on episodes and a from the Maha\bharata few pura\n≥a the kat≥tai acters, the distinctive kat≥tai — wooden and breast orna- shoulder, head, ments inlaid with small pieces These larger-than- of mirror. life characters display a distinct, Adorned heroic stage behavior. with spectacular costumes and they enter mask-like makeup, the ground-level performance area behind a hand-held curtain using a set routine of songs and highly energized movements transi- that help an actor-singer tion into his or her role. popular and not in need of salvage by upper caste well- All- wishers or scholars. Like karnatic night performances as part of local Hindu village festivals draw huge audiences. theatre A number of kattaikkuttu homogeneous art form. kattaikkuttu is not a static, music, Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/dram_a_00856 by guest on 03 October 2021 Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/dram_a_00856 by guest on03 October 2021

54 Hanne M. de Bruin or “praise-maker.” Inhisformalfunctionofguardiantheroyalassembly, the Draupadê, theMahabharata’s femaleprotagonist. ComedyisthedomainofKat thought afterclimacticscenesofviolentkillings, injustice, andtheattempttohumiliatedefile companies 11. 14 August 2018. (Photo by PeeVee) Sangam’s Performing Arts Festival, Punjarasantankal Village, Draupadi excerpt in Figure 5. Kattiyakkaran (M. Duraisamy) in the omy thatisyettofullycommodifyandcommercialize. time andacrossanetworkofvillagesrepresentinganinformal performanceecologyandecon- sense oftheformerfeudalsituationlingerswithperformersand patronstiedtoeachotherover been replacedbynegotiatedperformanceratesandconditions (1999:143–54). Despitethis, a newcomers ofdifferentcastesenteringtheprofession, traditional rights-cum-obligationshave Today’s kattaikkuttuhaslargelyfreeditselffromthistraditionalperformanceeconomy. With bers ofthelow(er)castes, performerscouldnotaffordtoantagonizetheirhigherstatuspatrons. Nadu), Ma\riyamman Tiraupatiyamman cult conditionsandtoaudiencedemandsexpectations(deBruin1999:56–57). framework underlyingitsplaysenabledperformerstoadjusttheirperformancesoftendiffi- movement andchoreography, acting, andmakeupcostumes, withinamoreorlessstable The flexibilityofkattaikkuttu’smultimediamaterial, includingspokenandsungtext, music, Yudhis≥t announces andpraisesthegreatnessofmightykattaicharacters Tamil Naduwithmanylocalstylistic variations. formance season, performancesarealsocommissionedinhonor ofhigherstatusBrahminical tral focusofnonelite, non-BrahminicalHinduisminrural Tamil Nadu. Dependingontheper Kattaikkuttu performancesareconsideredanofferingtovarious goddesses Comedy, apivotalelementofkattaikkuttu, providesentertainment, relief, andfoodfor flexibility (Zarrilli, Daboo, and Loukes 2013:6). “system”sis on acting as a rule-based appears to have discouraged discussion about the presence and scope of such Phenomenon and Process , flexibility plays a role in acting praxis, too.Western contemporary However, the empha- As Phillip chapter to the coauthored Zarrilli points out in his introductory book hira, Arjuna, andHiran ≥ — nobody knowsexactlyhowmany _ (theMahabharata heroineDraupadiwhoisworshippedasagoddessin Tamil Karnatic Meets Kattaikkuttu. Kattaikkuttu _, Pon _n _iyamman * ya — through aconventional, formulaicpanegyric(kat≥tiyam ). In _, Puliyatta\mman Disrobing of — operate inthenorthernandcentralpartsof _, andmanyothers ated haveshapedkattaikkuttu. traditional performersoper and socialprecarityunderwhich The conditionsofeconomic was consideredphysicallabor. night performances, kattaikkuttu Because ofthehardshipsall- right aswellanobligation. or musicianwasacaste-based ian societywherebeinganactor operated withinafeudal, agrar criticizes thoseinpower. and religiouspractices, andoften les socialinequality, mockscaste tors. Hissuccinctcomedytack- life experiencesofruralspecta- epic charactersintotheeveryday dilemmas ofmajesticanddivine translates therivalriesand his comicrole, theKattiyakkaran — such asDuryodhana, Karn Kattaikkuttu traditionally Acting: Psychophysical — who arethecen- Kattiyakkaran — such as t ≥ 11 iyakka\ran ≥ As mem- As - _ * a, a, - - Karnatic Meets Kattaikkuttu 55 - Disrobing of of Disrobing subaltern ≥ āci (mid-September to mid- to (mid-September āci ≥ t Frasca 1998:7–9). –29; Figure 6. A rural audience watches an all-night performanceall-night an watches audience of rural A 6. Figure Village, Marutam Company. Professionals Young Kattaikkuttu the by Draupadi Sangam) Kumar/Kattaikkuttu Sumanth A. by (Photo 2016. September 24 On the occasion of these religious festivals, performers are hired performers festivals, of these religious On the occasion - 12 : iva. u or S * ˘ n

In the eyes of urban upper-class and caste elites, kattaikkuttu has nothing much to offer in and caste elites, In the eyes of urban upper-class Given their history of modernization, the labeling of karnatic and kattaikkuttu as “classi- and kattaikkuttu as the labeling of karnatic modernization, Given their history of For instance, Perumāļ, or Vishnu, is worshipped during the Tamil month of Purat of month Tamil the during worshipped is Vishnu, or Perumāļ, instance, For October) in particular on all Saturdays, which usually feature all-night kattaikkuttu performances. Additionally, performances.kattaikkuttu all-night Additionally, feature usually which particularin Saturdays, all October) on performancekattaikkuttu a for a rites funeral the of conclusion the of occasion the on commissioned be may individual. deceased kattaikkuttu performers. They perform all night for rural audiences whose numbers would They perform all night for rural audiences kattaikkuttu performers. same performers cannot speak up during these However, jealous. make urban theatre venues the cul- the daytime because hierar tural and bureaucratic space for chy does not provide and them to be heard (Guru Kilomba Sarukkai 2012:9–28; rural Low-caste 2010:26–27). and in actual prac- artists feel, excluded not often are, tice, public only from the bourgeois, but also from academic debate, In addition to fore- discourse. concepts grounding “modern” and values that do not neces- sarily align with how the artists perceive their nonverbalized, the public debate flexible praxis, and academic discourse are often discursive, framed in unfamiliar, and rational, explicit or abstract, often generalizing or persuasive In other terms (de Bruin 2018). rural artists do not speak words, the language that is under for that matter, debate or, the public “fits” the kind of language that would help them get access to funding and social stood by government or donor agencies and The karnatic music is stark. “classical” The contrast with prestige (Gopalakrishna 2005:21–24). its high-caste enhancing its symbolic value and elevating music has been codified and theorized, The Rural kattaikkuttu performers tend to guard their professional know-how. practitioners. of teach- for instance for the purpose knowledge, externalization and systematization of their ontic While kattaikkuttu’s intrinsic, value for them. so far has carried no added ing outsiders, cannot it music, karnatic concert of knowledge the as sophisticated and complex as is knowledge be separated from its practice. 2017a). terms of aesthetic satisfaction or meaningful value (Sivakumar 2017; see also FEAC performers are thought to lack artistic literacy. formally uneducated Kattaikkuttu’s low-caste, cal” and “folk” respectively maintains the status quo. These labels ensure that vested interests These maintains the status quo. respectively “folk” and cal” the lived experience of coloring involved are kept in place, and especially the people 12. gods, such as Vis as such gods, not only for their artistic expertise but also for their ritual competence. Their artistic and ritual Their artistic and ritual competence. but also for their their artistic expertise not only for - and handle ambiva par excellence to evoke make them experts and low-caste status know-how dan- to contain the violent, They are able their performances. power in and through sacred lent, the life-giving forces for its beneficial, of this power channeling polluting effects and gerous, 1999:124 of the village (de Bruin spiritual benefit material and Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/dram_a_00856 by guest on 03 October 2021 Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/dram_a_00856 by guest on03 October 2021

56 Hanne M. de Bruin opposes labelingclassicalkarnaticmusicasculturallyandspiritually superior. Generally, he lic figurewhoagitatesagainsttheculturaldominanceofhis own Brahmincommunity. the kattaikkuttuperformers. other threeartists, IdidthedramaturgyandEnglishtranslations anddesignedthecostumesfor Indologist, marriedtoRajagopal. Inadditiontoworkingon the basicconcepttogetherwith MeetsKattaikkuttu.Karnatic Sangeethaisakarnaticvocalistandeducator. IamaDutch-born and Rajagopal, SangeethaSivakumar(marriedtoKrishna)and Iwerethemovingforcesbehind dle classesinthepurificationandrestorationofdegenerate Tamil stagePerumalwritesthat for thesakeofartbutinordertomakealiving. Highlightingtheagencyoftheseeducatedmid- called themselves “amateurs” asagainstthe “professional” folkperformerswhoperformednot classes, manyofwhomwerelawyers, businessmen, orgovernmentemployees. They proudly modern Tamil stagewasinitiatedbymalemembersoftheeducated, high-casteurbanmiddle newly emergingmodern Tamil theatre. Adopting Western prosceniumstageconventions, the Tamil theatrehistorian A.N. Perumaljuxtaposesthedegeneratepopular Tamil stagewitha education, artistry, andmoralintegrityofthesubalternpractitioners: earlier “pure” version). They blamethelowstandardof(popular) Tamil theatreonthelackof kattaikkuttu, innouncertaintermsasuncouthanddeteriorated(assumingtheexistenceofan Some 20th-century Tamil scholarshavedescribedthepopular Tamil stage, whichwouldinclude 14. 13. Arts in2016, forRajagopalandmethiswasourfirstformal producer. national artistsacrossIndia(seeFEAC 2017b). While KrishnahadworkedwithFirstEdition pany thatcuratesandorganizeslivemusic, dance, andtheatrewithbothinternational MeetsKattaikkuttuwasproducedbyFirstEdition Karnatic Arts, asmallMumbai-basedcom- The Collaborators indeed anexampleof “a ratherunusualculturalconversation.” ing arts, bringingkarnaticandkattaikkuttuperformancestogetheronanequalfootingwas Because ofthesesoverydifferenthistoriesandperceptionsthe Tamil stageandtheperform- Krishna, inhis40s, inadditiontobeingakarnatic vocalistisalsoasocialactivistandpub- his familyofanyageorsextoseeaplay. (Gopalratnam[1956]1981:116–20) multitude ofreasons, noparentinanydecentfamilywouldwillinglyallowamemberof the lackofcharacter, respectabilityandpurityinthosewhowereconnectedwithit. Fora something tobelookeddownuponnotonlyforitslackofanyintrinsicvalue, butalsofor In theeightiesandninetiesoflast[19th]century, adramainthe Tamil countrywas 1981:138–39) had tobedonerestorethestagefromuglyhandsofthesestreetdancers. (Perumal Ganesh, T.M. Krishna, and others in See for instance the recent debate “Does Have Art a Caste? A Debate on Carnatic Music” between Kamala called Arts MeetsKarnatic of a larger program Kattaikkuttu was part involving T.M. Krishna and curated by First Edition art. Respectable stage andtheir door towithstretchedarmsgetsomethingfilltheirbelly. Theiractionon of singingandhoppedleapedinsteadacting. Inthemorningtheywentfrom worse pits ofnegligenceandwithering. Inthehandsofstreet-dancersdramabecameworseand The selflessservicesoftheeruditescholarshaveresurrected Tamil dramafromthe losing itsartisticvalues. Throughout nighttheyshoutedandhootedinthename T.M. Modern Krishna Karnatic II behaviour inthestreetswerenothingbutagreatdisgracetonoble people lookeddownatthemwithuttercontempt. Somethingsubstantial Economic & Political Weekly (Ganesh 2018b; Krishna 2018). (FEA 2017). 13 Together withKrishna 14 He Karnatic Meets Kattaikkuttu 57 Karnatic Meets Meets Karnatic 15 The Sangam 17 ≥ (Deliverance), a Tamil stage stage Tamil a (Deliverance), uttal Vit grew up in a family of traditional grew up in a family of ≥ (Milky Ocean); Ocean); (Milky al _ kat RāmaRāvaņāchil- for play his to addition in 2014), (Rājakōpāl Pār Figure 7. From left: Karnatic instrumentalists Akkarai Subhalakshmi (violin), (violin), Subhalakshmi Karnaticleft: instrumentalists Akkarai From 7. Figure (mridangam). Prakash Arun K. and (ghatam), Guruprasad N. Punjarasantankal Festival, Arts Performing Sangam’s Kattaikkuttu Kattaikkuttu, PeeVee) by (Photo 2018. August 14 Village, In 2002, Rajagopal and I realized a long-standing dream when and I realized a long-standing dream when Rajagopal In 2002, - 16 n≥ai - ê - Sangam www.kattaikkuttu.org and www.facebook.com/kattaikkuttu.sangam. and www.kattaikkuttu.org Sangam is a seasoned kattaikkuttu actor in his 60s who ran his own theatre company, the own theatre company, in his 60s who ran his kattaikkuttu actor is a seasoned

(Magic Horse) (Rājakōpāl 2005). (Rājakōpāl Horse) (Magic Māyakkutirai

The concert took place in 2016 and was produced by Devina Dutt of First Edition Arts. It can be accessed online online accessed be can It Arts.Edition First of Dutt Devina by concertThe produced was and 2016 in place took 2017d). and 2017c (FEAC include plays published (Rājakōpāl)’s Rajagopal Karnatic Meets Kattaikkuttu Rajagopal adaptation of a Rabindranath Tagore’s play; and play; Tagore’s Rabindranath a of adaptation dren r (Dhobi, or clothes or clothes ≥na\r (Dhobi, Van A for more than 40 years. Nataka Manram, Perungattur Ponnusami Rajagopal the bottom of the caste system, at washer) by caste, kattaikkuttu performers. He remembers playing his first role when he was five. He knew already when he was five. He remembers playing his first role kattaikkuttu performers. A cul- father’s company at age 10. an actor and quit school to join his that he wanted to become with Kattaikkuttu Sangam in 1990 together Rajagopal cofounded the tural mover and shaker, musicians to give them greater cul- uniting kattaikkuttu actors and and me, 15 other performers tural and economic leverage. united two ensembles. On united two ensembles. the karnatic side were vocal 15. 16. Kattaikkuttu 17. cussionist who played both the mridangam and dholak drums). ranging in age The students, are the first from 15 to 24, tam. On the kattaikkuttu side, On the kattaikkuttu side, tam. Rajagopal brought onstage two Kailasam A. senior performers: and R. Kumar; were they joined by nine students from the Kattaikkuttu Gurukulam, including three musicians: a a mukav harmonium player, ists Krishna and Sangeetha; and Akkarai instrumentalists Subhalakshmi on violin, K. Arun on mridangam, Prakash on gha and N. Guruprasad context, similar to the Urur Olcott Kuppam Vizha initiated by Krishna, that cuts across the initiated by Krishna, Vizha similar to the Urur Olcott Kuppam context, the Sangam’s fes- Vizha, Unlike the and contemporary. classical, traditional, boundaries of folk, has never received wide media coverage. now in its 28th year, tival, condemns the ghettoization of Indian culture into separate niches that perpetuate hierarchy hierarchy niches that perpetuate Indian culture into separate the ghettoization of condemns Vizha, Olcott Kuppam the Urur festival, started an annual In 2014 Krishna (Krishna 2016). the stage art forms sharing and popular folk, with classical, settlement in Chennai, in a fishing habi- social and cultural who do not share his worked with people He has also (Ganesh 2018a). and musicians. of singers a transgender community as a group of Jogappas, such tat, organizes the low-key annual Performing Arts Festival of the Kattaikkuttu Sangam in a rural Arts Festival of the Kattaikkuttu Sangam organizes the low-key annual Performing we founded the Kattaikkuttu Gurukulam. At this coeducational, residential school, young boys residential school, At this coeducational, Gurukulam. we founded the Kattaikkuttu female performers into the the- for the first time bringing in kattaikkuttu, and girls are trained started writing innovative plays Rajagopal male roles. as another first, atre to play female and, female students. plays to create new roles for his young and adapting traditional (a small, high-pitched, oboe-like high-pitched, (a small, and a per instrument) player, Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/dram_a_00856 by guest on 03 October 2021 Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/dram_a_00856 by guest on03 October 2021

58 Hanne M. de Bruin ka\la (tempo);modesof(textual)production(e.g., singingaviruttam 19. 18. Both formsusebasicconcepts, suchass; foundational musicalideas, technicalvocabulary, and conventionsgroundedinkarnaticmusic. MeetsKattaikkuttuwaspossiblebecausebothkarnaticmusicandkattaikkuttushare Karnatic Music, Voice, Language, andEmbodiment What Weand WhereWeShared Differed performances byIndianandinternationalartists. dents experienceotherformsoftheatre, music, anddancethroughguestworkshops kattaikkuttu actorsandmusicianstrainedwithinaninstitution. As partoftheirtrainingthestu Edition Arts) Karnatic Meets Kattaikkuttu, Mumbai, 16 December 2017. (Photo by Chirodeep Chaudhuri/First P. Sasikumar (mukavinai), A. Selvarasu (mridangam/dholak), P. S. Srimathy and A. Bharathi. Rajagopal, Figure 8. From left: Sangeetha Sivakumar, T.M. Krishna, A. Kailasam (standing across formsandgenerations. es21f). Rees 2019f an example of kattaikkuttu’s at www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNGJJ52NIhQ soundscape, listen to a viruttam (Sue tam are connected by a is a free-flowingboth melody and rhythm, a viruttam verse that has only melody.- The four-line stanzas of a virut is one of kattaikkuttu’sA viruttam two dominant modes of singing. In contrast to a India (Raikhy n.d.; www.mandeepraikhy.com/queensize). made in response 377 of the , Indiana dance performance to size article Penal Code, which criminalizes gay sex in the junior students worked of Mandeep on drawing sounds and silence; and a guest performance Raikhy’s cal theatre school in Switzerland; a drawing workshop by Indian Mallavika illustrator-performer P.C. with whom Rebekka Gather, Santiago Bello, and Alessandra Francolini, graduates from the Scuola Teatro Dimitri, a physi- Tom Bogdan, who taught the music of Meredith Monk to the Gurukulam’s students; an acrobatics workshop by During the last two school years (2016–2018) these workshops included a vocal workshop by USA-based singer jati, or rhythmical interlude, that allows choreography. the actor-singer to perform For (pitch),ruti ra\ga 18 This exposurefacilitatedthecollaboration (ragaormelody), ta\la(rhythm)and 19

or dividingasonginto ), R. Balaji (harmonium), pāt t ≥ u ≥ or “song,” which has

Queen- - Karnatic Meets Kattaikkuttu 59

kirikki. - a con- which, and I which, Rajagopal’s 20 am, _ Kuttu Kalai Kudam, Punjarasantankal, 17 February February 17 Punjarasantankal, Kudam, Kalai Kuttu or aural embellishments of notes, or aural embellishments Figure 9. Kattaikkuttu’s typical, fast pirouette-like movement, the movement, pirouette-like fast typical, Kattaikkuttu’s 9. Figure Rajagopal, P. by Tripurakali 2012. (Photo by A. Prathap/Kattaikkuttu Sangam) Prathap/Kattaikkuttu A. by (Photo 2012.

While other kattaikkuttu styles use different pitches, ), and pirou- ), sections); and when vocalized, both combine music and both combine music and when vocalized, ≥am sections); caran and upallavi, _ ˘ al ˘ l an

[refrain], [refrain], is best heard in the open and from a distance. However, the same can be said of the voice the same can be said of the voice However, and from a distance. is best heard in the open

) within the larger karnatic karnatic larger the within ) (svaras sounds or notes individual provide that ornamentations aural are Gamakas Pesch (Krishna 2013:50–53; positions pitch specific their around mobility with raga) or (melody composition 2009:419–20). [1999] Karnatic singing is part of a complex form of art music, that has been analyzed, systematized, systematized, has been analyzed, that of a complex form of art music, Karnatic singing is part economy. wresting itself from a feudal performance But kattaikkuttu has modernized too, The differences are in the application and production of music creating the distinct sound- the application and production of music The differences are in Rajagopal was trained by his style retains a high pitch because this carries a male voice far in the stillness of the night with style retains a high pitch because this carries a male voice far in the stillness of the 20. cluding rhythmical flourish. take place in the open air, often tell me they find it loud and difficult to listen to. Indeed, kattaik Indeed, it loud and difficult to listen to. often tell me they find air, take place in the open kuttu your spectators and keep their attention. Also, kattaikkuttu’s music supports the dramatic allow- action with a rapid tempo, ing actors to move vigorously; the principal characters express their heroism and bravery half (at≥avus), steps dance through and full leaps (tul quote Krishna, the uninitiated can find extremely “irritating” (Krishna 2016). “irritating” can find extremely the uninitiated quote Krishna, new instru- During this time, and modernized over the past 200 years. urbanized, politicized, contributing to the concert venues were adopted, and performance sound technologies, ments, shaped a new modern aesthetics of musical perfor a format that format as we know it today, [1999] 2009). 2006; Pesch mance and reception (Weidman makeshift performances continue to take place under difficult, its outdoor all-night However, of the ground- seated closely packed around three sides Audiences, performance conditions. are noisy, level performance area, Therefore, not to say disruptive. a strong voice is pivotal to reach pallavi verbal text. Both forms are transmitted orally and absorbed into the body through repetition. through repetition. absorbed into the body orally and Both forms are transmitted verbal text. of based on the mastery improvisation while also allowing extensive memorization Both require able to identify informed listeners/spectators Both forms require and knowledge. artistic skills simi- despite these deep But expressions. the respective artistic the intricacies of and appreciate not be further apart. art forms could at present these in former interactions, larities rooted The quality and performances. music and kattaikkuttu’s theatrical scapes of karnatic concert a voice should sound are entirely expectations with regard to how timbre of voice and audience which are unamplified and are unfamiliar with kattaikkuttu performances, People who different. ettes (kirikis). Chandiran Ponnnusami, father, and other principal kattaik- in the kuttu actor-teachers which features Perungattur style, high-pitched open-throated, singing; a meticulous atten- and pirouettes, tion to the production of musical and semantic meaning; and high-energy leaps, rhythmically exacting footwork that must coincide with the percussionist’s tirma\n gamakas its characteristic gamakas in karnatic music with Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/dram_a_00856 by guest on 03 October 2021 Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/dram_a_00856 by guest on03 October 2021

60 Hanne M. de Bruin intonation anddiction. Vocal musicandmusicallanguageplayanimportantroleinmemoriz and rhythm. Notonlysongs, butalsoprosepassagesrequireaparticularpitch, inadditionto Kattaikkuttu’s dramaticlanguageisalwaysembeddedin, andinextricablyinterwovenwith, music literary language(centamil Ramaswamy 1997;Bate2009). on (human)embodiment. Therefore, Tamil isthoroughlyperformative(Kersenboom1995:13; grounded inits “practice,” thatisinitsactualmultimedial, affectivemanifestationthatdepends (Shulman 2016:1–2;Shulman2012;Kersenboom1995:xvi). Furthermore, Tamil asalanguageis imagery, evokedeitherthroughactualmovementsinspace(na\t≥akam)ortheimagination ing thearticulatedwordorliteraryexpression(iyal guage thathasauralandvisual-kineticdimensions. They defined Tamil asthreefold, combin- order tocreateaperformancepiece. Traditional Tamil grammariansunderstood Tamil asalan- posefully selectandcombineaudio, video, visualartworks, andcomputer-generated imagesin live multimedialityisquitedifferentfromcontemporarymultimediaperformancesthatpur voiced textandmusicinparticular, isanatural “given” inthecaseofkattaikkuttu. Suchprimary, multimedia, Tamil language–baseddramaticform. The interweavingofdifferentmedia, andof a formofmusic)isinplacehereandattainsparticularrelevancethecasekattaikkuttuas in theprogrambook. and briefbiographiesofthefourprincipalcollaborators, theirartforms, andtheproducerwere Rajagopal andPerumalMurugan. Mostofthesetextswerein Tamil. (AnEnglishtranslation both traditions, inadditiontooriginal(song)textswrittenespeciallyforthecollaborationby us tofigureoutworkableparametersfortheproduction. MeetsKattaikkuttu,explored eachother’speculiaritiesduringtherehearsalsforKarnatic pushing cert’s amplifiedsoundscapecreateentirelydifferentacousticworlds. Theseworldsmetand tion ofamplification(Terada 1997:927). Kattaikkuttu’slivesoundscapeandthekarnaticcon- with kattaikkuttu. Pitcheswereloweredinthefirsthalfof20thcenturyafterintroduc- waram voice. Yet, karnaticmusicoftheperiya me\l nai. a distinctive, emotional, andrawqualityenhancedbythemusicalrepetitionofmukavi- 22. 21. ing hisrolemusicallyandlinguisticallyhelpshimenterinto inhabitthecharacter act, aswellcombinethesewithphysicallydemanding movements. times alsoprosepassages. Incontrast, thekattaikkuttu actor-singer mustsing, speak, and comparable tokattaikkuttu, useabackgroundsingerto articulatepoetic, sungtextsandsome a dramaticcharacter, nordoesithavetodefinetheemotionsofacharacter. tual effectsofitsmusicperse;doesnotsupportthetransformation fromavocalistinto expressing semanticandemotionalmeaning, karnaticmusic emphasizestheaestheticandspiri Telugu, andKannada, primarilytoconveyreligiousdevotion. While itssungwordscontributeto cert music, ontheotherhand, usesonlythe “high” literaryformsof Tamil, aswellSanskrit, ing textandintheembodiment, visualization, andinterpretationofcharacters. Karnaticcon Karnatic MeetsKattaikkuttuusedexistingperformancetextsandmusicalstructuresfrom Karnatic language and sound, are social and aesthetic markers that contribute to kattaikkuttu’s definition as “folk.” “complex” or “classical.” Ownership of the embodied voice, in combination with the production of articulated for instance facial expression, gestures, and choreography. Such stylization allows a form to present itself as more The dissociation ofcreates voice and performer space for greater stylization of other aspects of the performance, All quotes arefrom the performance from the program, which I translated from Tamil (FEA 2017). Kattaikkuttu exploitsallfacetsofthe Tamil language. These rangefrom “pure,” prestigious, South Indiantheatretraditions, suchaskathakali, kutiyattam, andyakshagana, whichare Contemporary urbanaudiencesarenolongeraccustomedtohearingahigh-pitchedmale [na\kacuram orna\tacuram], thebigbrotherofmukavinai)oncesharedthispractice 21 ) A culturalcaveatwithregardtothenatureoflanguage(andas ) tohighlyengagingandentertainingcolloquialspeech(kot _ am (auspicioustemplemusicfeaturingthenagas- ˘ ), soundormusic(icai 22 ForRajagopal, voic ), andvisual-kinesthetic ≥untamil — ve - \s attil ˘ - - - - ). ). _ - Karnatic Meets Kattaikkuttu 61 - - - Draupadi — ; de Bruin 1998). Bruin de ; Death n≥a’s Kar by Rajagopal and his his and Rajagopal by Draupadi of Disrobing ˘ ( am The adaptation allowed one of his s 24 a Mōk n≥a Kar (Dice and Disrobing), an all-night play also known (Dice and Disrobing), Tukil two expressions that are closest to the Western concept of concept Western to the that are closest two expressions _ has a physical connotation of “penetrating,” “creeping in through a narrow narrow a through in “creeping “penetrating,” of connotation physical a has ai l — (Disrobing of Draupadi). nu ka/tanæka _ The idea that a kattaikkuttu actor penetrates, hides in, or merges with the char or merges with in, hides penetrates, that a kattaikkuttu actor The idea 23

which could either be from outside/actor into inside/role or from inside the actor to the or from inside into inside/role either be from outside/actor which could or pa\ttirattil nir fits the local, rural cultural context where the boundaries of the human body are more of the human where the boundaries rural cultural context fits the local, —

— _ The semantic range of the word word the of range semantic The emerged from ten, one-day intense meetings from July to Karnatic Meets Kattaikkuttu emerged from ten, passage,” “slipping into and getting hidden,” in addition to a more cognitive meaning of “entering one’s mind mind one’s “entering of meaning cognitive more a to addition in hidden,” getting and into “slipping passage,” natural its and body-mind the gloss to seems thus and 2018:2780) [1862] (Winslow meaning” author’s an as indivisibility. the of reenactment” complete but “telescoped a of translation a For company in the early 1980s, see Frasca (1998); for the ritual impact of this play when performed when play this of impact ritual the (1998); for con- the within Frasca see 1980s, early the in company all-night an what idea an get To (1998). Frasca and (1988) Hiltebeitel see festival, (Draupadi) religious a of text performanceplay the of translation my see like, is text aiya aiya ≥am \paharan Vastira Tiraupatai 23. as December 2017, all but one of which took place at the Kattaikkuttu Gurukulam. The first four all but one of which took place at the Kattaikkuttu Gurukulam. December 2017, served to give Krishna and Sangeetha an idea without the karnatic instrumentalists, meetings, range; and its and linguistic vocal, “works”; its musical, of kattaikkuttu’s basic structure: how it and actor- cues that facilitate the collaboration between musicians conventions of enactment, epic and the interpretation of well-known the chorus, singers and between an onstage actor and - Kattaikkuttu actors require a structured storyline to embody a charac ) narratives. (Mahabharata showed episodes he felt not only represented kattaikkuttu as the- Rajagopal and his students ter. repertoire can be. but also brought to the fore how politicized kattaikkuttu’s Mahabharata atre, to think where and how the karnatic form could These demos inspired Krishna and Sangeetha to com- to these narratives by providing variation and texture with musical elements “respond” agreed on using two episodes We interpretation. ment upon or give a twist to a conventional The first was an excerpt to frame the production. from the elaborate kattaikkuttu repertoire ≥ai from Rajagopal’s adaptation of Pakat address the social and political blindness that prevents people, entrenched within their own cul entrenched within prevents people, address the social and political blindness that else’s art form with from listening to and looking at someone and political ghettoes, social, tural, Karnatic allowed us Meets Kattaikkuttu promoted a kind of aesthetic fluidity that an open mind. The simultaneous breaks or many verbal explanations. to move between the two forms without subverted conventional expectations. presence onstage of two mixed-gender ensembles porous than in Western urban cultures. Furthermore, it fits the idea that acting in kattaikkuttu acting in kattaikkuttu it fits the idea that Furthermore, urban cultures. Western in porous than actor- A kattaikkuttu character. the “being” and “becoming” ontic but an is not representational, I assume that the way in which a character to the fullest extent possible. singer needs to embody as what a karnatic vocalist expe such full embodiment will not be the same she or he experiences The Rehearsals point of KarnaticAn important starting of each was to keep the aesthetics Meets Kattaikkuttu response and exchange with- for possible points of contact and inviting looking form intact, kattaikkuttu to sound like karnatic did not want We interweaving. out attempting any syncretic starting point was that all of us felt we wanted to A second singing or the other way around. role riences. Even though the latter’s voice is grounded in embodiment, a karnatic concert singer the latter’s voice is grounded in embodiment, Even though riences. The performer might lose her or seated position that limits movement. occupies onstage a static, transformation into another but the form does not require an imaginative himself in the music, being. “embodiment.” acter nul 24. woman students to embody and reinterpret Draupadi from a female perspective woman students to embody and reinterpret The second narrative was an excerpt from the all-night play is normally performed by men. Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/dram_a_00856 by guest on 03 October 2021 Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/dram_a_00856 by guest on03 October 2021

62 Hanne M. de Bruin Duryodhana andhiscourtiersappear. scapes. associated withbothkattaikkuttu’sandtheperiyamelam’shigh-pitched, outdoor, ritualsound- accomplish thankstothetechnicalinputfromSangeethaandKrishna. kuttu performers, andtocalibrateitwiththekarnaticperformers timbre, andvolume. Therefore, alast-minutedecisionwasmadetoalsoamplifythekattaik- als, theamplifiedsoundwasastonishinglydifferentandtechnicallyabletogetanoptimumbase, the kattaikkuttu. Notonlythat, listeningtokarnatic’sembodiedlivesingingduringrehears- it becameclearthatamplifyingthekarnaticvocalistsandinstrumentalistsentirelydrownedout and actor-singers wouldnotneedanyamplification. However, whenwearrivedatSt. Andrews, musicians. Inhindsight, allofushadnaivelyassumedthatsomehowthekattaikkuttumusicians ment fromChennaiforthelastrehearsaltocheckamplificationofkarnaticsingersand production, inparticulartheamplification. Krishnabroughthisownsoundpeopleandequip- 800-seat St. Andrew’s auditoriuminMumbai, allfourofusworriedaboutthetechside cial middlepart, themusicalconversationbetweenKrishnaandRajagopal. By theendofrehearsalprocesswefeltprogramwascomingtogether, exceptforitscru- ists onthestage. We alsofinalizedthetransitionsamongdifferentpartsofproduction. decided on, wheretoplacethetwomusicalensemblesandkarnatickattaikkuttuvocal- developing arepeatablescore. Duringthesefinalrehearsalsweexperimentedwith, andfinally flow alongwithit, orwouldbecomepartofthekattaikkuttusoundscape whether theirsoundscapewouldbeinjuxtapositionwiththekattaikkuttusoundscape, would The lastfourrehearsalsincludedthekarnaticinstrumentalists, duringwhichtheyconsidered The EighteenthDay andgaveRajagopaltimetogetintocostumeforhisroleasDuryodhana. between KrishnaandRajagopalachoreographedwarscene. This scenesetthestagefor Mahabharata war. These twoexcerptsoflongerplayswerelinkedthroughamusical Patin 25. duce Draupadi, whilekattaikkuttuactressS. Tamilarasi asDraupadiwaitedbehindthecurtain. nied bytheviolin, sangthekattaikkuttulyrics(insindhubairavi raga)inslowtempotointro After theconclusionofentrancesceneDuryodhanaand hisallies, Sangeetha, accompa Disrobing ofDraupadi the youngkattaikkuttumusicianstocount Sue Rees2019e;https://youtu.be/xv91kl5BKcI). This rhythmicalpiece nied bybothmusicalensembles, withthemukavinaitakingplaceofnagaswaram(see followed byamusicalcompositioncalledmalla\ri MeetsKattaikkuttustartedwithabriefmusicalintroductioninthekattaikkuttustyle,Karnatic The Program more, onthesuggestionofKrishna, toestablishtheauspicious, majestic(kamp strong auspiciousritualconnotations(Terada 1997:928). Forourpurposeitwasrecycledonce been co-optedbykarnaticconcertmusicfromtheperiyamelamtemplerepertoire, whichhas through therhythmicalcycleintuitively, astheynormallywould. Historically, themallarihas When welearnedlateintherehearsalprocessthatvenueforperformancewas Day I will provide some salient points of the two kattaikkuttu episodes, The Eighteenth Day. Without going into the specific details and interpretations of the complexMahabharata epic, R. Kumar played Duryodhana in _ et≥ta\m Po , relevant to my discussion of the collaboration. We usedthismusical-rhythmicalpiecetobringonthestagecurtain behindwhich r (TheEighteenthDay) \ Disrobing of Draupadi and P. Rajagopal played Duryodhana in the second piece, 25 featuring RajagopalasDuryodhanaonthelastdayof

— guided bytheirkarnatictutors sung byKrishnaandSangeethaaccompa- Disrobing of Draupadi and — something wemanagedto in — na\t≥ai ragarequired with theaimof — ê rather thanmove ra The Eighteenth ) moodthatis discussion - - Karnatic Meets Kattaikkuttu 63

- Disrobing of Draupadi of Disrobing excerpt in in excerpt Draupadi of Disrobing . The Kattaikkuttu Kattaikkuttu The Kattaikkuttu. Meets Karnatic . Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Kochi, Kerala, Kerala, Kochi, Biennale, Kochi-Muziris Kattaikkuttu. Karnatic Gomes) Pepe by (Photo 2019. 13 January Figure 11. Duhsasana (R. Devan) dragging Draupadi Draupadi dragging Devan) (R. Duhsasana 11. Figure hair. the by (S. Tamilarasi) Figure 10. Draupadi (S. Tamilarasi). Tamilarasi). (S. Draupadi 10. Figure excerpt in excerpt Sangam’s Performing Arts Festival, Punjarasantankal Village, Village, Punjarasantankal Festival, Arts Performing Sangam’s PeeVee) by (Photo 2018. 14 August

- ˘ s;a\sana drags she needed her she needed —

In the story, Duh In the story, /xv91kl5BKcI). Such practical Such /xv91kl5BKcI). what requirements often were more moved the performance and into a kattaikkuttu mode, into a at other moments more forms karnatic mode with both enhancing each other. sition into character (see Sue sition into https://youtu.be Rees 2019e; cultural the composition was also a stark reminder of the current rounding Perumal Murugan, In 2014 a controversy arose around the translation from Nadu. Tamil and political situation in into English of a novel by Tamil Local caste-based and Murugan. religious Hindu groups objected to his portrayal of a custom that childless allowed a married, woman to have sex with a man of annual her choice during a local, temple festival in order to allow the couple to have a (legitimate) child alleviating the stigma of These groups being childless. claimed that such a custom did and had never existed, not exist, The culture. was against Tamil local police summoned the pro- “peace testers and Murugan for a and compelled him to sign talk” an “unconditional apology” and withdraw all copies of his Murugan In January 2015, novel. announced that he was giving up writing; he said on his Facebook During the rehearsals it became rehearsals it became During the to needed Tamilarasi clear that sing herself the tran voice to accomplish Draupadi, who refuses to follow who refuses Draupadi, the assem- by the hair into him, the feet of bly and drops her at his older brother, her antagonist, Duryodhana. the Kaurava King, of but the entire assembly has become enslaved, Draupadi demands an explanation why she appealing to the protests, the youngest of the Kauravas, ≥a, Vikarn Finally, kings remains silent. stop this humiliation and assault of a woman before sense of honor of the assembled kings to saying that he is too young to understand what he is Vikarna Duryodhana silences their eyes. composition Tamil froze onstage while Krishna sang a The kattaikkuttu actors talking about. is a wom- “What by the poet Perumal Murugan: written for this specific slot in the program is theirs?” what is her value when narrow minds deny women what an’s condition? In general, sur But for those aware of the controversy This poem resonated with Draupadi’s situation. Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/dram_a_00856 by guest on 03 October 2021 Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/dram_a_00856 by guest on03 October 2021 14 August 2018. (Photo by PeeVee) Kattaikkuttu Sangam’s Performing Arts Festival, Punjarasantankal Village, Draupadi’s sari.Disrobing ofDraupadi excerpt inKarnaticMeets Kattaikkuttu, Figure 12. Duhsasana (R. Devan) reaches below and pulls off the curtain 64 Hanne M. de Bruin art. Art isalwaysassociatedwithña psyche oftheclassical, ofthekarnaticorhindustani, doweassociatetheideaoflaborwith with andbethecharacter. Introducing theconversation, Krishnaexplainedthat “never inthe eight hourslongandtakeplaceovernight wooden (kattai as laborhighlightsthephysicaldemandsoftheatreon actor’sbody titioners, andtheiraudiencesinhabit. the contrastingculturalandsocialtopographiesthatkattaikkuttukarnaticmusic, theirprac- pinch ofexaggerationandsarcasm, was declaredunconstitutionalin2016. silenced. The state’s page that “Perumal Muruganthewriterisdead.” LiketheyoungestKauravahe, too, hadbeen 27. 26. fundity ofthat” (SueRees2019a;www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0niP6sxerQ&feature=youtu.be). that protecthermodestyandsavefrompublicdisgrace. Exhaustedandunabletounder attempt isunsuccessful: The godKrishnaprovidesDraupadiwithanendlessnumberofsaris at him, andforthehumiliationhefeelshassufferedathandsofhiscousins. Duhsasana’s orders DuhsasanatodisrobeDraupadi. This ishisrevengeonthewomanwhoearlierlaughed Rajagopal describesartasul Rajagopal defines kat well known for his stance that his singing has nothing to do with religiosity (Krishna 2016). Similarly, while Even though Krishna opted to sing a song from the religious repertoire (the n.d.). (Wikipedia career with a collection of poetry literary vention that forced him to apologize and withdraw the books. Following this judgment, Murugan returned to his In 2016 the Madras High that there ruled was no binding force Court or obligation in the previous state inter- Immediately afterMurugan’ssongreflectingontheconditionofwomen, Duryodhana ) ornamentation, itsfastmovements, andthefactthatregular performancesare t intervention thatmadeMuruganwithdrawthenovelandgiveupwriting ≥ aikkūttu as labor, he is fully aware dimension of his profession. of the artistic ≥ aippu, hardphysicallabor. Hischaracterizationofkattaikkuttu _ 27 n_am, wisdom, withattainingtheunattainable \ aslaborversuswisdom. Indoingsotheydrawattentionto 26

— as welltheworkperformerdoestomerge Sue Rees2019b;www.youtube their respectiveartforms, witha both performersjuxtaposing The conversationopenswith Rajagopal wrotehisownsongs. from severaldifferentsources, sought inputforhissongs guage, andcaste. While Krishna music andkattaik tions peoplehaveofkarnatic percep- differing English —the verbal explanationsin Tamil and and songs debated —through which theyarticulatedand Krishna andRajagopalin nary musicalmatchbetween Kattaikkuttu Meets At theheartofKarnatic A MusicalMatch .com/watch?v=pdfJ8EQzDws). Duhsasana collapses stand whatishappening, Srimadbhagavatapurana), he is — was anextraordi- the weightof — kuttu, lan- with the onstage (see onstage (see - pro

- Karnatic Meets Kattaikkuttu 65 - they pose _ va\r”— century , Mumbai, Mumbai, Kattaikkuttu, Meets Karnatic r_a\l jati colli ikal _ 42; de Bruin 2006:107–34). 42; de Bruin 2006:107–34). \ cen _ r, mar_aiva\kave va\r, points out the hypocrisy of an “equal” soci- “equal” points out the hypocrisy of an \ pukal r_e _ en _ 16 December 2017. (Photo by Chirodeep Chaudhuri/First Edition Arts) Edition Chaudhuri/First Chirodeep by 16 December(Photo 2017. Figure 13. Musical dialogue about art, language, and caste between T.M. T.M. art,about dialogue between caste and language, Musical 13. Figure Rajagopal (right). P. and (left) Krishna - maintan _ \ pir_anta man≥nin

Finally, another prejudice that feeds into kattaikkuttu’s low, “folk” status concerns the dif- “folk” kattaikkuttu’s low, another prejudice that feeds into Finally, urban audiences middle-class, of educated, Savoring the performing arts is the prerogative part of the in the second one of India’s greatest social dividers, up the issue of caste, Taking In a cultural and religious In a cultural mance is successful, that it is ritually effective (de Bruin 1999:129– mance is successful, culture, often associated with a lack of sophistication, Such full embodiment and possession are medi- because they are the opposites of tranquil, They are looked down upon and decorum. nanam these transcendental knowledge or “superior” Brahminical states and the tative yogic, states epitomize. and experienced in non-Brahminical contexts. ferent ways in which religiosity is expressed and self-mutila- acted and real violence (including the decapitation of animals), Possession, swinging from hooks that pierce the back, spear, tion (piercing the skin or tongue with a silver At a social- remnants of an archaic past. “irrational,” and “superstitious” etc.) are often dubbed with the this bias helps to reinforce the idea that kattaikkuttu is incompatible political level, the tradition can no longer survive in today’s modern therefore, project of modernity and that, that is in need of salvage and revival (see Frasca 1990:xii; art form “dying” It is dubbed a society. kattaikkuttu In reality, PTV 2016; Prabhakar 2016). Saravanan 2005; Raj 2012; Chatterjee 2013; 100 and rural kattaikkuttu groups performing between is alive and kicking with professional, season from January to October. 150 all-night performances during the theatre kattaikkuttu’s knowledge that lies in and is gen- or underestimate, that often are unaware of, Given the disconnect between the two cultural spec- erated through embodied performance. power this and the inequality in real and symbolic tra karnatic music and kattaikkuttu occupy, myself whether Karnatic I sometimes ask Meets Kattaikkuttu would have disconnect represents, I don’t think so. not Krishna. happened if the proposal for it had come from Rajagopal, “Kula kula kula ven- composition by Kanakadasa, Krishna sings a well-known musical match, the 16th- In this poem, caste). caste, (People constantly talk about caste, nutiharu” food, Kannada poet revolts against (Hindu) Indians’ preoccupation with segregating people, He says caste is a nonstarter because it is impossible and objects into inferior and superior. or those who have experienced true bliss. the soul, the five senses, to name the caste of gods, raga) in a brief viruttam (in kannada Rajagopal, own pur ety in which caste continues to be invoked behind one’s back when it serves one’s mance this may lead to possession or possession-like states, which may be real or performed who see possession as a visible sign that the perfor but which are anticipated by the spectators context in which the body is a context in in particular potential pollutant, and members of for Brahmins - cultural prej castes, other high kattaikkuttu and its udices about are aggra- low caste performers the form vated by the fact that to the depends on embodiment When a fullest degree possible. of an actor, character takes hold can give such full embodiment berserk violent, “wild,” rise to - behavior in all of kattaikkut includ- tu’s heroic characters, At predictable ing Draupadi. perfor moments in an all-night (“kalaikka\kav_e Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/dram_a_00856 by guest on 03 October 2021 Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/dram_a_00856 by guest on03 October 2021 Figure 14. War scene detail (featuring P. Sasikumar). 66 Hanne M. de Bruin Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Kochi, Kerala, 13 January 2019.(Photo by Pepe Gomes) ?v=dA89RY2hMBs). in oneofthecorpsesthatlitterbattlefield(seeSueRees 2019d; www.youtube.com/watch can’t betrue!” astheKattiyakkarandirectshimtocrawl onhisbellyand, finally, tohidehimself it bemyfatethatIhavetoforsakemightandrightshide myselfonthebattlefield? This is alreadysearchingforhim, seeshimfromadistance. Then hesings, “This isn’tfair!Howcan him. Taking theKattiyakkaran’sadvice, DuryodhanagoesdownonhiskneeslestBhima, who must stayoutofsightthemightyBhêma(thesecondPandavas), whohasvowedtokill row ifhetellshimhowcanstayalivetoday. The KattiyakkaranadvisesDuryodhanathathe satirical referencetocurrentpolitics, offerstomakehim aMinisterinhisgovernmenttomor raises hishandsinresignation, indicatingthatheispowerless. Thereupon Duryodhana, ina Duryodhana’s melancholicstateandlisteningdisinterestedly to hisrequest, theKattiyakkaran spite ofeverything. HeseekstheadviceofKattiyakkaran (playedby A. Kailasam). Seeing ily conflict, Duryodhanaoscillatesbetweendespair, anger, andadesiretohangonpowerin tic, emotional, andwitty tive chemistry. Perhapsthisspontaneityensuredthattheirmusicalboxingwasfresh, nonpedan- they reliedentirelyontheirprofessionalexpertise, improvisationaltalent, andamutual, intui- them fromrehearsingtheirmusicalconversationingreaterdetail. Fortheactualperformance a lowcaste). JustpriortothepremiereinMumbaibothleadperformersfellill. This prevented praise thesonofsoilasbornforarts, butbehindhisbacktheybelittlehimasbeingof 28. kuttu’s stepsand - of war.Thisbringstheentirecrewyoungkattaikkuttuperformersonstage.Theyuse kattaik Sanskrit versesfromtheMahabharata,sungbyKrishnaandSangeetha,describing The intimatemusicaldialoguebetweenKrishnaandRajagopalisfollowedbyafewdark, War Scene ual egos can push the boundaries of artistic enlightenment”ual egos can push the boundaries of artistic (Adivarekar 2018). ground without sacrificing the sanctity of their forms. respective art It also showed how surrendering of individ - tion as “delightful, punctuated with one-liners” and providing “an insight into how creative minds find common The single of the review of Mumbai performance movements — hopefully, aneye-openerformanyintheaudience. — accompanied by the instrumentalists ofbothforms accompanied bythe instrumentalists Karnatic Kattaikkuttu, Karnatic MeetsKarnatic Kattaikkuttu described the musical conversa- ble consequencesofthefam- Draupadi. Realizingtheterri- ers andtheircommonwife cousins, broth- the5 Pandava brothersandtheir 100 Kaurava ghastly, 18-daywarbetweenthe the soleKauravasurvivorofa ing inhishand. Duryodhanais head bowed, hiscrownrest- on theperformers’bench, played byRajagopal, isseated war scene, aloneDuryodhana, Upon theconclusionof The EighteenthDay /watch?v=WnmLCgbKw_E). 2019c; www.youtube.com Rees (see Sue by Tamilarasi choreographed the battlefield, the troopsandslaughteron therallyingof their version of 28 — to actout horrors - Karnatic Meets Kattaikkuttu 67

excerpt in excerpt Day Eighteenth The excerpt in in excerpt Day Eighteenth The Figure 16. Kattiyakkaran (A. Kailasam) and the King King the and Kailasam) (A. Kattiyakkaran 16. Figure during (P. Rajagopal) . Mumbai, 16 December 2017. 2017. December 16 Mumbai, Kattaikkuttu. Meets Karnatic Arts) Edition Chaudhuri/First Chirodeep credit: (Photo and he offers him a simple way to stay alive: “You could return the country to “You and he offers him a simple way to stay alive: singers sing that underlines —

This scene inverts the relationship of power between the King and the Kattiyakkaran as the This scene inverts the relationship of power The rapid changes in Kattiyakkaran literally brings royalty to its knees. He confronts Duryodhana with his own greed He confronts Duryodhana with knees. Kattiyakkaran literally brings royalty to its and arrogance responds by chasing the Kattiyakkaran to give him blinded by fury, Duryodhana, the Pandavas.” the Kattiyakkaran transforms Duryodhana’s Pretending that he sees Bhima coming, a beating. this time behind the he hides himself in an attempt to save himself, Once again, rage into fear. At karnatic instrumentalists. this precise moment and to give Duryodhana/Rajagopal some Sangeetha and three kat- rest, taikkuttu actor- a karnatic composition in Sanskrit from Adishankara’s Bhajagovindam the impermanence of power: “Don’t flaunt your wealth, or social might which youth, Abandon time destroys instantly. all illusionary bonds and attain the timeless truth.” from Duryodhana’s mood, and fear to blind- regret, despair, are conveyed through ing fury, which vacillates back his singing, and forth between the middle who in karnatic style The interaction between Duryodhana and Krishna, and higher octaves. and the interaction between the karnatic musicians and echoes Duryodhana’s oscillating voice, . Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Kochi, Kerala, 13 January 2019. (Photo by Pepe Gomes) Pepe by (Photo 2019. January 13 Kerala, Kochi, Biennale, Kochi-Muziris Kattaikkuttu. Karnatic Figure 15. Duryodhana (P. Rajagopal) entrythe during despair in in scene Duryodhana15. (P. Figure Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/dram_a_00856 by guest on 03 October 2021 Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/dram_a_00856 by guest on03 October 2021 2019. (Photo by Pepe Gomes) in and hiding between the corpses on the battlefield. (P. Rajagopal) by crawling to make himself invisible to his adversary on his belly Figure 17. The Kattiyakkaran (A. Kailasam) directs King Duryodhana 68 Hanne M. de Bruin Karnatic Kattaikkuttu. Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Kochi, Kerala, 13 January their instrumentalists, subsequentlyrenderthemankalam a glimpseintothehistoricalinteractionofforms. Krishna andSangeetha, accompaniedby 29. cert ordancedramaofPrahladaBhakti Vijayam byruraldevada\s dering ofthisclassicalserious, auspicioussong, which inearlierdaysmayhaveconcludedacon- in Teluguby Thyagaraja song) taikkuttu andkarnatic. They irreverentlysingawell-known karnaticmanækal Kattiyakkaran fromTheEighteenthDay meetonstagetocelebratethecomingtogetherofkat- performance. traditional musicalcompositionanddramaturgysabotagedtheemotionalimpactof of therehearsals, suchanattemptwouldhavedestroyedthebeautyandtightnessofplay’s polation ofkarnaticelements. As themridangamplayer Arun Prakashremarkedduringone com/watch?v=VPgtB8kwLeM). angry, greatman, withtheonewhoseeksyourcompany?” (seeSueRees2018;www.youtube. a beautifullyunderstatedkarnaticrenderingofthekattaikkuttusongtext, “Why areyouso react inamoretheatrical “embodied” way, asakattaikkuttuactorwould. InsteadKrishnasings eral times, andthenturnstowardsKrishnathevocalist, IthinkbecauseheexpectedKrishnato and “singing” Krishnawaspalpable. RajagopalasDuryodhanaforcefullyventshisangersev- At theconclusionofprogram, theKattiyakkaranfromDisrobingofDraupadi andthe part of the same feudal agrarian context as kattaikkuttu. part ferocious, non-Brahminical village goddess providing a differently gendered paradigm. The devadasi tradition was In areas arts. the women rural engaged in the performing where I work, devadasis were a dedicated to and served were forbidden in 1947 soon after India’s independence. The devadasi debate continues to reflect the position of of tial part Tamil culture and worship. The practices of dedicating young girls to a deity and their performances 19th century, some considered the devadasi practice as a form of prostitution; others argued that it was an essen- to wealthy patrons, duties. who allowed out their ritual and performance them to carry Towards the end of the different rituals. Although their dedication to a deity prevented they were them from often marrying concubines Devadasis were women who were through song, dance, and dedicated severalfor life to a god whom they served (“nê na\marupamulakanityajayaman The Eighteenth Day excerpt The EighteenthDay didnotlenditselftoamoreextensiveinter as it “ought tobesung,” inproper between “acting”Duryodhana the performance, thedifference strophic war. At thismomentin the Kauravasintothiscata- tion thatthegodhasdrawn Duryodhana’s angryaccusa- the characterKrishna)rebuts war. The performerKrishna(as his realintentionistoinstigate return oftheirland. However, on behalfofthePandavas as anambassadortonegotiate Ostensibly Krishnahascome his meetingwithK which Duryodhanaremembers Tu night kattaikkuttuplayK inserted aflashbackfromtheall- lent deathatthehandsofBhima. anticipating Duryodhana’svio- ates ahauntingwaveofsound the fullkattaikkuttuchorus, cre- ês, orsinger-dancers, \tu (Krishna’sEmbassy)in Within thissequence, we æ galam”). Their comicren- am (concluding ˘ r s ≥ 29 n ˘ provides ≥a/Krishna. r≥s n ˘ ≥ a - Karnatic Meets Kattaikkuttu 69

- theatre. theatre. pamulaka,” ru\pamulaka,” praxis in “nê na\ma ˘ am that included the an explicit verbalization an explicit verbalization — a me\l _ n _ exchange; as performers sang each other’s parts exchange; as performers and thus more able to interact and borrow from each and thus more able to interact and borrow — — the structures underlying a performance as well as musical and dramatic a performance as well as musical and the structures underlying suggests that kattaikkuttu and the rural devadasi tradition were in close suggests that kattaikkuttu and the rural devadasi — effortlessly on the face of it, \ by visiting ensembles as well as dance and theatre performances by rural ris by visiting ensembles as well as dance and —

This alignment is not as surprising as it sounds, if our historical consciousness would take if our historical consciousness would This alignment is not as surprising as it sounds, While a principal goal of karnatic music appears to be to articulate and communicate the While a principal goal of karnatic music radition existed using karnatic music as the basis for its dance. This rural, female-owned, artistic- female-owned, This rural, basis for its dance. radition existed using karnatic music as the new artistic formations and varied interpretations emerged. Where kattaikkuttu and karnatic and varied interpretations emerged. new artistic formations music differed most voice/voicing and the degree of embodiment such as conventions, of these differences led to a fuller understanding of each other’s forms and practices. In most forms and practices. to a fuller understanding of each other’s of these differences led communicated their knowledge. talking but by showing that both sides instances it was not by that basic performance concepts much verbal explanation is evidence This ability to do without closely aligned. and practices of the two forms are in fact to sep- including what we now tend arts, into account earlier situations when the performing less confined to rural or not yet labeled, were more fluid, and theatre, dance, arate into music, folk or classical ghettoes urban settings, non-Brahminical devadasi yet widespread and vibrant rural, a lesser known, For example, other. t mukavinai (Knight [2010] 2011:11). The fact that the Telugu mankalam Telugu fact that the The mukavinai (Knight [2010] 2011:11). contact. Furthermore, karnatic music was part and parcel of the popular theatre in which the karnatic music was Furthermore, contact. (the predecessor of bharatanatyam) was banned. rural devadasis found employment after sadir informants and performers reveal that karnatic con- Interviews Rajagopal and I had with rural certs or kacce , is found in the kattaikkuttu reper which we used to conclude Karnatic Meets Kattaikkuttu, toire in a ludic form took place in small towns and villages during who ran their own theatre companies, devadasis, arises: How Given this fluidity a question 2001). the early 20th century (de Bruin and Rajagopal be asked in ret- And this is a question that can folk? can be said to be really “folk” much of the as well. “classical” rospect for the having a For an actor, kattaikkuttu uses music to make theatre. aesthetic beauty of its music, song, (musical) voice is pivotal to embodying a role and taking the narrative forward through within kattaikkuttu’s aesthetic architec- Furthermore, and acting. dance, music, prose dialogue, both are essential to create beauty and seman- music and language cannot be separated; ture, Krishna as a singer and In this respect, for the spectators. “meaning” and visual musical, tic, language Rajagopal as an actor appear to have somewhat different approaches to the role of that the religious content of the language(s) he In a public speech Krishna stated in music. require him to be religious; it is the aesthetics of nor does it sings does not matter to him, the linguistic irrespective of the (devotional) meaning of the music that creates sheer beauty, ‘ma’” (Ra\ma is the ‘ra’ and the it is about how I sing the ‘Ra\ma,’ “It is not about singing text. scales name of a Hindu god and ra/ri and ma are two notes of the ascending and descending semantic meaning from musical meaning and By delinking of karnatic ragas) (Krishna 2016). a political stand against the Brahminical represen- Krishna takes foregrounding music per se, and of the spiri- tation of karnatic music as an expression of nanam (transcendental wisdom), such delinking is not entirely feasible and would be I believe that tual or the divine in general. Both traditions shared the same, small musical ensemble or cin Both traditions shared the same, ritual tradition coexisted with and was a counterpart to the male-owned kattaikkuttu ritual tradition coexisted with and was a counterpart Expanding Expanding the Aesthetic Karnatic consciously on our own artistic required us to reflect Meets Kattaikkuttu Narrowing the Folk-Classical Divide the Folk-Classical Narrowing As a collabora- and beneficial. sharing that was mutually constructive order to allow an artistic this sharing took place and how I was struck by the organic way in which tor in the production it inspired karnatic style. Karnaticthe mankalam by all: a high-paced (second) Meets Kattaikkuttu ends with karnatic style. a conventional all- join in a song that ends karnatic ensemble performers and the kattaikkuttu morning. in the early night performance Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/dram_a_00856 by guest on 03 October 2021 Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/dram_a_00856 by guest on03 October 2021

70 Hanne M. de Bruin 30. A of thecollaborationasa “beginning” ( what theyheard, saw, andfelt. That iswhywecontinuetoperform. and aruralaudienceaccustomedtokattaikkuttu, andperhapstohavemovedsomespectatorsby Mumbai audience, formanyofwhomthismusthavebeentheirfirstkattaikkuttuexperience, cerns artisticinterventions, susceptibletocritique. We hopetohaveengagedametropolitan ther artisticandsocialinclusivity. Suchintentisalwayssubjectiveand, particularlywhenitcon- experiences, perspectives, andpositionsinsociety, butwithacommonintentofwantingtofur cally present, visible, andaudibleonthesamestage. We didsofromourowndifferentpersonal scholarship —andbythesimplefactofbeingtogetherphysi- and language, tools —music, addressed artisticallyandpolitically, byusingourminds, bodies, andoursharedprofessional MeetsKattaikkuttuanditscollaborators It isthissocialandpoliticaldistancethatKarnatic not tohave inherit andthedegreeof “voice” oragencythatitspractitionersarepermittedtohave the culturalandsocialhierarchydetermineprestigesymboliccapitalthatbothforms social distinctionanddistancebetweenthetwoartforms. Their relativepositionswithin phorically, voice, asakeyrepresentationaltropeofsocialpositionandpower, perpetuatesthe so doestheinvolvementofhumanbodythatcarriesperformances. When takenmeta- forms. Voice/sound “marks” kattaikkuttuandkarnaticvocals being altogethersubjective, iscultivatedbythecommunitiesthatownandtransmittheseart forms createareaurallyandaestheticallyentirelydistinct. Their appreciation, inadditionto the succinctwordsofRajagopal’sfatherandteacher: “If youplayadog, youhavetobark.” (demonic) oppositessuchasDuryodhanaorHiranya, actingisaboutbeingthecharacter not matter. Whether thecharacterheplaysisadivineone, suchasRamaorKrishna, ortheir the character’swordsevoke. JustasforKrishna, forRajagopalreligiosityorbeingreligiousdoes to thefullestdegreepossible character” cally helpshimnotonlytoretrieveoraldramaticmaterial, butmostimportantlyto “enter into resonate andwithwhichruralaudiencesarefamiliar. Voicing hisrolemusicallyandlinguisti- ery theyevoke, andthewiderpoetic/literary, sacral, andpoliticalenvironmentswithwhichthey and musichaveequalimportance. They areinextricablylinkedtoeachother, thevisualimag- encompassing words, sounds, andimage. ForRajagopal, kattaikkuttu’sverbalized, auraltext problematic inthecaseofarticulated Tamil languagegivenitsself-definitionas “threefold,” stage) andV. Pandiyaraju(sound). formances wereproducedbyFirst EditionArtswithtechnicalassistancefromSueRees(lightand Devi auditoriumofKalakshetraFoundation) betweenDecember2018andFebruary2019.Allfive per Bangalore (RangaShankara),Mumbai(lawnsofthePrinceWales Museum),andChennai(Rukmini Kattaikkuttu After completingthewritingofthisarticle,productiontraveled Afterword bridging thedividethatseparateskarnaticandkattaikkuttusocially andpolitically. facilitated byanopen-mindedMumbai-basedproducer, underlinesthecomplexitiesinvolvedin that aredeeplyrootedinthe Tamil soilandits culturalheritage, (FEAC 2017a). Ironically, MeetsKattaikkuttu, thefactthatKarnatic to createwhathecalledasanægama(m) , Pil In aconversationwithKrishna, Sangeetha, andmyself, Rajagopaldescribedhisexperience The qualityofvoiceandsoundinkarnaticmusickattaikkuttuthesoundscapesboth pillaiyar culi ˘ l ˘ aiyār or Gan≥ —ve — — to Goa(SerendipityArtsFestival),KochiinKerala(Kochi-MuzirisBiennale 2018), in theworldofartsandmedia(FeldFox1994:26). ( \s eśa is the god with an elephant head and is believed to remove all obstacles. உ attil nul ˘ ) is a symbol people place on top of an empty page of a notebook before writing. they start aital, atermthatIhavearguedroughlyequalstheideaofembodiment _ — and expandaroleemotionallythevisualimagery pil a “coming together” or “confluence” ofthetwoforms l ˘ aiya\r cul ˘ i _ ) 30 ; somethingthatcamefromajointdesire — — aesthetically andsocially under theshortenedtitleKarnatic premiered onaMumbaistage, involving twoartforms — — — or and or in - - Karnatic Meets Kattaikkuttu 71 - ≥ Masked Ritual and Performance in South Ritual and Performance In Masked aikku\ttu.” ≥ t ˘ am in Kat \ s . Groningen: . Tradition Theatre The Flexibility of a South Indian \ttu: ≥ aikku ≥ t . Pondicherry: Institut Français . Pukalentippulavar by A Play 1998. Karn≥a’s Death:

, ed. David Shulman and Deborah Thiagarajan, 107–34. 107–34. Thiagarajan, David Shulman and Deborah ed. in South India, and Possession Healing, India: Dance, The University of Michigan. Asia Studies, Arbor: Centers for South and Southeast Ann 20–24 June. Berlin, International Conference Dynamics of the Interweaving of Performance Cultures, Berlin. Freie Universität, International Research Center Interweaving of Performance Cultures, Betacam Asian Studies. four of its professional exponents. Leiden: International Institute for as told by stage ISBN 90-74917-25-9; NUGI 086. 119 mins. SP and DVD, . https://scroll.in/magazine/910539/ Accessed 31 January 2019. 27 January. Scroll.in, of caste and gender.” http://newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/Reviving-ancient-Tamil-art-forms/2013 3 August 2013. /08/01/article1711560.ece. 2:15– 49. 3:32–60. and Society 2, Culture Literature, Frame: Third 1953–1959.” Akademi Reports the Sangeet Natak Egbert Forsten. www.thehindubusinessline.com/blink/shoot/the-right-pitch/article22385885.ece. Columbia University Press. With the exception of the last one, all these performances took place outside the state of Tamil the state of Tamil took place outside all these performances of the last one, With the exception nature of to Karnatic Kattaikkuttu acknowledged the “revolutionary” Reviews of and reactions the intended to be, a product of fusion. However, Karnatic Kattaikkuttu was not, and was never de Pondichéry. Bruin, Hanne M. de. 2018. “Kattaikkuttu as Practice-based Knowledge.” Paper presented at the Paper presented at the “Kattaikkuttu as Practice-based Knowledge.” 2018. de. Hanne M. Bruin, Tamil historyThe unheard of the rural In their own words: 2001. eds. Rajagopal, and P. de, Hanne M. Bruin, form come together to push the stubborn lines “Carnatic music and a folk theatre 2019. Urmi. Chanda-Vaz, Accessed , 1 August. The New Indian Express art forms. Tamil “Reviving ancient 2013. Pyusha. Chatterjee, Natak 16, Sangeet The First Drama Seminar Report.” Theatre: “Imagining a National 2007. Anita. Cherian, Delineating Genre: Reading Nationalizing Performance, “Institutional Manoeuvres, 2009. Anita. Cherian, 17, 1:98–122. Asian Theatre 17, Journal Nadu.” Tamil Theatre in “Naming a 2000. de. Hanne M. Bruin, “Donning the Ve 2006. de. Hanne M. Bruin, New York: in South India. Practice Aesthetic: Democratic and the Dravidian Oratory Tamil 2009. Bernard. Bate, trans. de., Hanne M. Bruin, References 2018. Accessed 31 March 5 January. The Hindu Businessline, “The right pitch.” 2018. Hari. Adivarekar, is generally well known in India. However, However, well known in India. Disrobing is generally Draupadi’s Mahabharata narrative of Nadu. The and in kattaikkuttu’s where day of the war, portrayal on the last case for Duryodhana’s this is not the of shifts into the hands of a desperate King the royal/political power specific interpretation, Rajagopal’s them accessible to non– narratives and make In order to frame both the Kattiyakkaran. the underdog, in English to a brief introduction to have Krishna provide we decided speaking, urban spectators, Tamil conversation between pivots of the musical introduced the main excerpts. Krishna also each of these two hours, testing the limited as the production ran for more than him and Rajagopal. Furthermore, debate by eliminating the topic urban spectators, we shortened the musical attention span of today’s of language. “push(ed) the stubborn lines by bringing together a classical and a folk form, the production which, we received, it was clear 2019; Hasan 2019). From the questions (Chanda-Vaz of caste and gender” and the idea of “fusion” were intrigued by the nature of the collaboration that members of the press kattaikkuttu. between karnatic and and deepened over the course of the two forms and the practitioners evolved interactions between performance. Sometimes the dif- when a production enters its fifth or sixth time, as usually happens as during the Kochi Biennale. spaces offered scope for such an evolution, ference in performance the 20 people of our two ensembles, we As the stage turned out to be too small to accommodate spectators seated at all four sides around the perfor decided to perform in front of the stage with space offered Rajagopal, as Duryodhana on the 18th day mance area. The ground-level performance to crawl into the audience, as is often done in rural all-night performances the opportunity of the war, who thus became the spectators seated on the floor, He hid himself amidst the startled of the play. littering the battlefield (see Sue Rees 2019d; wounded and slain soldiers, horses, and elephants . www.youtube.com/watch?v=dA89RY2hMBs) Kat 1999. de. Hanne M. Bruin, Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/dram_a_00856 by guest on 03 October 2021 Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/dram_a_00856 by guest on03 October 2021

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