Therukoothu is a folk theatre art form originating from the rural areas of Tamil Nadu, which is now confined to a contiguous area of Dharmapuri, North and South Arcot, and Chinglepet districts. The wholeness of this theatre art, the diverse levels at which it operates, has not been known or made familiar even to the Tamils in general, much less to the outside world.
A virile and living festive expression, Therukoothu contains layer upon layer, the cultural history of the state of Tamil Nadu. At various stages of its evolution, it has also absorbed windswept influences from other areas of the subcontinent.
On the Therukoothu stage, one sees the tribal rituals of exorcism, hears the devotional hymns of the Shaivite poets of the Bhakti era (6—8th centuries), witnesses the enactment of the epic poems of Villiputhurar Bharatham (14th century), sees intimations of KathaKalakshepam (brought into Tamil Nadu during the rule of the Naiks in the 16th and 17th centuries), and hears dialogues from plays written in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. One sees Kattiakaran (Bharata's Sutradhara and Vidushaka rolled into one) wax obscenely expressive, lampooning anyone he fancies from Yudhishthira to the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. All this might suggest a strange patchwork, but Therukoothu achieves a stream-like flow right from the time the villagers gather to hold their annual festival down to its conclusion on the 20th day with a fire-walking ritual. It is theatre, annual temple festival, rites of passage, fertility rites, and an act of community and private worship all at once.
As a form of worship, Therukoothu was born of the Mother Goddess cult. The tribal cult of hero-worship extended to the epic characters of the Mahabharata and Draupadi was consecrated and merged with the Mother Goddess and the guardian deity (Kava Deivam) of the villages. As theatre, Therukoothu is a re-enactment of the past, unfolding the present.
It is usually performed during the village festivities in the months of March-April or July-August and is a source of great entertainment for the rural people. Apart from entertainment, Therukoothu taught the rural people about their rich, varied history and religion. Themes also include the very famous martial arts of the region and great battles and wars.
Therukoothu also depicts scenes from Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Tamil classical epics. The artists are dressed in heavy and complex costumes in vibrant colors and wear bright elaborated make-up. They put on a high-towering headdress, sparkling shoulder plates, and wide colorful skirts. The art form depends on songs rather than dialogues. The performers are trained to sing themselves, in a high-pitched voice. The performers are often all-males and play the female characters too. They are highly expressive, showing rather exaggeratedly the emotions of love, affection, anger, anguish, and grief. This art form makes a visual treat for the audience that live these legends along with the performers.
There are large areas of commonality in the traditional theatrical forms of South India. It is possible that Therukoothu, Kathakali, Yakshagana, Theyyam, Bhuta, Mudiyettu, and other forms had a common origin in a protoform before branching off as separate performances. Their resemblances are in make-up, theatrical practices, themes, ritualistic preliminaries, structural framework, and nomenclature. The elements of similarity that these forms share among themselves are the tall headgears, the painted faces, the fluffy flaring skirts stuffed with paddy straw (common to Theyyam, Kathakali, Mudiyettu, and Bhuta). The loud, large percussion troupes in these artforms are also similar. Above all, they are distinguished by the ferocity, heroism of the dominant demonic and heroic characters.
Therukoothu likely emerged from these forms as Kathakali emerged from two different streams- classical Kudiyattam and the folk forms of Theyyam and Mudiyettu. Similarly, the Yakshagana of Karnataka absorbed elements from Bhuta and its structural scheme from the Yakshagana dance-drama of Andhra, whose name it took later. But the point to be noted here is that Kathakali and Yakshagana refined themselves as theatre arts by snapping their shamanistic cum biblical cord with the earlier folk forms. But Therukoothu did not, it retained the connection and built on it. The account of the 20-day-long festival that follows will show the palimpsest that it is. Some versions of the associated rituals are still present in Theyyam, Mudiyettu, and Bhuta performances in the neighboring States.
Like most of the other Indian art forms, Therukoothu is handed down from one generation to the next. Performers hail from down-trodden families from the lower strata of society. In their better times, these artists were held in high esteem for their artistry and talent. They entertained the rural folks on the invitation of the elders from respective villages. Quite unfortunately, the art of Therukoothu is dying because of being overshadowed by the popularity of the cinema and dying in the want of patronage. The artists are a forgotten lot today. They either perform in the village temples or live on hand-outs.
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