Tamil Nadu - Chennai

A whiff of fresh folksy air

— PHOTO: K.V. SRINIVASAN

COLOURFUL FETE: Artists performing ‘poikkal kudirai’ at the regional ‘Kala Mela’ at the Egmore museum on Tuesday.

CHENNAI: It may be known for faithfully showcasing the pride of the dead and the past, but on Tuesday, the premises of the museum were full of life, when a group of folk artists performed as part of the ongoing regional ‘Kala Mela’, organised by the Lalit Kala Akademi, South Zone Cultural Centre, Thanjavur, and the Government Museum.

The troupe ‘Kalaimani kalaikkuzhu,’ headed by A. Nataraj presented a variety of performances featuring folk art forms, including ‘Poikkal kudirai,’ ‘Mayilattam,’ ‘Kavadi attam,’ ‘Kaalai attam,’ ‘Karagaattam’ and ‘Naiyandi Melam.’

Whether it was A. Natraj’s impressive ‘Kavadi attam’ or the peppy ‘Poikkal kudirai’ performance, the receptive audience expressed their appreciation with applause.

Mr. Natraj went on to fascinate the crowd further by opening two bottles of soft drinks with his mouth, picking two needles with his eyes off a small pile of sand, and unfolding a currency note that had been folded several times — all this, with the kavadi perched on his shoulders.

“I’ve been doing this since I was seven. This is our very own art, our means of livelihood and our life itself,” he says, his eyes shining through layers of hot pink eye shadow.

Everything about them, their costumes, make up, accessories and paraphernalia are bright and unmistakably colourful.

But their lives could perhaps have a little more colour, the artists feel. The tedious travel, shows and artistry are not matched by appropriate remuneration all the time, they say.

Even youngsters such as Panneer Rajan are part of the troupe. A Class X student, he dances with tremendous ease, sporting an old man’s mask and a fake tummy, that he shakes to rhythm. Does this come in the way of his preparation for his Class X Board examination? “Not at all,” says his mother M. Amala.

“He manages both quite well… we’ve been in this profession for four generations now… he can’t afford to ignore this for studies,” she adds.