TENKASI: When did the bow and arrow, an age-old weapon of warriors and a symbol of bloodshed, turn itself into a soothing musical instrument? Nobody knows, but it may sound a trifle paradoxical that the savage bows that darted innumerable arrows and helped conquerors claim vast lands, produced music to the ears too, known as ‘villu paatu’ (bow song).
In Tenkasi district, seven years ago, similar to how the bow received a revamp with ‘villu paatu’, a transperson got a new lease of life owing to the art form. She received a chance at living a dignified life, and winning love from one and all. The years have gone by like an unleashed arrow, and Thirumalai Rani Nachiyar turns 1,000 ‘villu paatu’ performances old this month.
The 31-year-old, who hails from Kurungavanam village, began to perform ‘villu paatu’ at the age of 21. All was fine until Nachiyar came out as a transperson around seven years ago. “My parents cast me out of the house due to pressure from relatives. This turned out in favour of my ‘villu paatu’ vocation. In fact, people respected me more after I openly identified as a transperson. I am welcomed with currency garlands and people request me to bless their children,” she says.
Apart from singing ballads of deities during the temple festivals, Nachiyar also spreads social awareness on various topics through her art. “One such programme organised by the district administration in Pavoorchatram on breast cancer turned the gaze of all eyes on me. In southern districts, many among the lakh of women beedi rollers are receiving treatment for cancer. Unfortunately, a lot of them ignored their symptoms and approached the hospital only in the later stages. Through my ‘villu paatu’ performances, I speak to the women about the necessity to detect cancer at the early stage itself,” Nachiyar says. Hundreds of women have gone for check-ups after listening to me, she adds.
The first transperson ‘villu paatu’ artiste of Tenkasi performs at least 100 programmes at temples yearly. She also provides employment to over 10 people, including men and transpersons, in her group. Nachiyar staged programmes in Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Kanniyakumari and Chennai, in addition to Mumbai and the Nagamalai Estate in Kerala before identifying herself as a transperson.
“Those temples even now call me to perform and my gender affirmation does not affect them. This is why I love ‘villu pattu’,” she adds. Former Collector Arun Sundar Thayalan once honoured Nachiyar for her breast cancer awareness work. The ‘Best Villu Paatu Performer Award’ from musician Shankar Ganesh and another award from actress Rekha during the Koothandavar temple festival are some of her recent achievements. Nachiyar says her dream is to popularise ‘villu paatu’ across the world.
After leaving her parents’ house, Nachiyar has been residing alone at a rental house in Keezhapavoor.
“Panpozhi Mariammal is my guru. She taught me this art form and also helped me with my ‘arangetram’. When I sing Vallarakkan or Sudalai Madan stories on the stage, I enter into this world of gods that only folk artistes can understand,” said Nachiyar.
Art forms that may seem outdated still reverberate in the hinterlands of TN’s conscience and they still play their part to secure dignity for the victims of society’s puerile aspersions.