The First Edition Arts festival’s Karnatik Modern held in Mumbai in December witnessed a few unusual collaborations. The one between Kattaikkuttu and Carnatic music was one such. Preparations for it had begun months earlier in Kanchipuram, the home of the Kattaikkuttu school and ensemble. This would be the first time Kattaikkuttu and Carnatic music, two vastly different art forms, would meet and converse on an equal footing. Kattaikkuttu is a rich, traditional form of “total theatre” originating in Tamil Nadu. The name signifies the wooden head, shoulder, and breast ornaments that the principal male characters wear during the performance. The troupe taking part in the collaboration is led by the legendary P Rajagopal, who sings, acts, directs and writes contemporary Kattaikkuttu performances. In Mumbai, he played a comically despondent Duryodhana in The Eighteenth Day, a take on the mythic war between the Kauravas and Pandavas in the Mahabharata. While comedy and visual theatrics played a dominant role throughout the performance, the sense that a successful experiment was being carried out before them was not missed on the audience. Through The Eighteenth Day and The Disrobing of Draupadi, both adapted by Rajagopal, there were interplays and subtle exchanges between the Carnatic musicians (Krishna supported by the vocals of Sangeetha Sivakumar) and the Kattaikkuttu performers, some blending seamlessly, others carefully crafted for greater synchronicity.
Collaborations of this kind are rarely conceived, let alone executed, hence Krishna and Rajagopal deserve credit for leading the way. Their musical conversation was delightful, punctuated with one-liners, and provided an insight into how creative minds find common ground without sacrificing the sanctity of their respective art forms. It also showed how surrendering of individual egos can push the boundaries of artistic enlightenment.
Hari Adivarekaris an independent photojournalist based in Bengaluru and Mumbai