MADURAI: By day, S Malaisamy walks through college corridors, explaining biomedical engineering concepts to attentive students. By evening, he steps into an entirely different world – balancing a brightly decorated karagam, stamping rhythmic adavus, and carrying centuries-old folk traditions onto village stages across Tamil Nadu. For more than two decades, the 46-year-old has lived these two lives with quiet discipline and unwavering commitment.
An assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Sethu Institute of Technology in Madurai, Malaisamy is an M.E. Instrumentation Engineering graduate and is currently awaiting his Ph.D. viva. Teaching has been his profession for 20 years. Folk dance, however, has run parallel to his academic life for just as long.
“All day I work as a college lecturer. In the evening, I keep my college bag aside, pick up my karagattam bag, and leave for the programme venue,” he says, smiling. “After the performance, I return by midnight. Sleeping on buses, resting during travel – this has been my routine for the past 20 years.”
A native of Manamadurai, Malaisamy comes from a farming family. His father worked as forest staff, while his mother is a homemaker. Education was strongly emphasised at home. “Everyone in our family studied. My siblings and I reached the Ph.D. level. Teaching came naturally to me,” he recalls.
His journey into folk arts began in the 1990s at Thyagarajar Higher Secondary School in Teppakulam — a school then known for nurturing arts and literature. External trainers were invited to coach students for competitions. One such trainer was Madurai-based dancer A Lourdesamy, who had worked as a dance double for actor Ramarajan in the film Karagattakaran. “Watching him dance changed something in me,” Malaisamy says. “The karagam, the decorations, the parrot – it all felt magical. One day, a boy in the group was absent, and I danced in his place. That was the first day I learned karagattam and I liked it instantly.”
He later trained formally under the late Kalaimamani Velu, a renowned folk dancer who appeared in the opening sequences of films such as Thevar Magan and Thirunelveli. “He taught me discipline, movements, adavus, and respect for the art. Because of him, programmes started coming continuously,” Malaisamy says.
Over the past 21 years, Malaisamy has performed in every district of Tamil Nadu and has also represented the art form abroad. Through his troupe, Folk Malaisamy Kalai Kuzhu, he performs traditional forms such as Karagattam, Kali Attam, Karuppasamy Attam, and Maadu or Mazhai Attam. His dedication has earned him several recognitions, including the state’s Kalai Sudar Mani award. He is also a registered folk artiste with the Tourism, and Art and Culture Departments.
Performance, however, is only one part of his journey. Teaching folk arts has become his larger mission. “The government issued a G.O. stating that dance should be taught in all government schools. So, I have trained students in many schools,” he says. He has also coached college students for annual days and competitions, creating what he describes as generations of learners.
Before the pandemic, a transgender collective led by Priya Babu approached him to explore sustainable livelihoods through art. “They wanted dignity and stable income through culture. I trained them, and it even made news,” he recalls.
Beyond dance, Malaisamy mentors fellow artistes in navigating government systems and schemes. “Improving livelihoods is as important as preserving the art,” he says. In 2022, he released a book of 14 short stories titled Thoppu Kilium Kagitha Siragugalum, centred on the lives of folk dancers. “People only see the performance, not the hardship behind it. I wanted to write about that life,” he explains. The struggles were many – financial uncertainty, constant travel, and balancing academics with night-long performances. Yet, he never considered giving up either path. His two sons reflect this balance: one pursuing MBBS and the other in Class 10, both practise silambam, the traditional martial art.
“Today, there is more awareness about folk arts.” Malaisamy says with cautious optimism. Still, institutional support must go further. “The Tamil Nadu government should recognise and support folk artistes more strongly. Many of us dedicate our entire lives to preserving these traditions.”
(Edited by Subhalakshmi PR)