VILLUPURAM: When Villupuram comes up in conversation, the impregnable, historic Gingee Fort is likely to crop up. Less familiar, however, is the district’s association with Mallakhamb, the traditional martial art that combines gymnastics, strength and balance on a vertical wooden pole. With historical references tracing its antecedents to ancient times, the sport has endured for centuries, even as it continues to seek wider recognition in Tamil Nadu.
While gaining widespread international attention in the Berlin 1936 Olympics, Mallakhamb (‘mallar kambam’ in Tamil, meaning a wrestler’s pole) was offered the government-allotted SDAT (Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu) training centre only a few years back. While the neglected sport has been the central focus of several groundbreaking documentaries, it is poised for a moment in the cinematic spotlight in an upcoming pan-Indian feature film ‘Vettuvam’ directed by Pa Ranjith
“Over 200 Mallakhamb players from across the state have acted in the film and at least half of them are from Villupuram,” said trainer G Manibharathi (36), the coach who trained the cast in Mallakhamb.
Having taken up Mallakhamb at the age of 12, Manibharathi has competed in several tournaments, winning a bronze medal at a national-level competition. Today, he and his brother, G Adhithan (32), run a training centre in Villupuram town, coaching hundreds of students for state and national-level competitions.
Mallakhamb, Manibharathi said, has begun gaining traction in recent years after remaining largely under the radar for decades. “When I was a player in the early 2000s, there was little media attention, and social media did not exist as it does today. States like Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh celebrated the sport, but here in Tamil Nadu, it barely received any recognition. Thanks to smartphones and social media, Mallakhamb is now finding wider acceptance across the state,” he said.
The brothers established their training centre in 2018 in a cramped, partly open space with an asbestos-sheet roof on Nandhanar Street. Training sessions were also held at the municipal park on weekends and at SDAT stadium on other days. “We kept training children and sending them to competitions across the country. Gradually, several of our students began winning silver and gold medals,” Manibharathi said.
More than the medals, however, the sport has earned the brothers recognition in their community as sportsmen. “We owe it all to Mallakhamb and our guru, Ulagudurai, who is regarded as the father of Mallakhamb in Tamil Nadu,” he said.
While Mallakhamb remained a constant in his life, Manibharathi found another calling in theatre. He has been associated with several theatre groups across Tamil Nadu since 2018 and performed in over 15 plays over four years before appearing in several short films and feature films in supporting roles. His experience eventually brought him an unexpected opportunity to return to his roots.
Director Pa Ranjith approached him about his Mallakhamb skills for ‘Vettuvam’, asking him to train the film’s actors in the sport. “I eventually returned to where it all began for me — Mallakhamb. I brought in students from my brother’s training centre to be part of the film and trained the lead actors in the sport,” he said.
The opportunity, however, came with a sense of responsibility. “It was quite overwhelming at first. For years, we have struggled to find spaces for Mallakhamb and get it recognised as a mainstream sport in Tamil Nadu. To see it feature in a Tamil film came as a pleasant surprise,” Manibharathi said.
The initial excitement soon gave way to the physical demands of training its cast, Manibharathi recalled. Getting actors unfamiliar with the sport to climb the pole proved particularly challenging. Despite the demands of the assignment, Manibharathi said the actors were quick to learn and committed to mastering the movements. “The actors picked up the moves quickly and were dedicated to performing them. Our students were also part of the film and performed remarkably well. Audiences will witness a kind of performance they have never seen before,” he said.
For Manibharathi, the wooden pole has been more than a sporting apparatus. It has given him an identity, a livelihood and, now, an opportunity to help the sport reach a wider audience. “I may not have achieved anything extraordinary in Mallakhamb, such as winning gold medals, but I have always wanted to give something back to the sport. The wooden pole has given me a life, and I wanted to contribute, however modestly, to its growth. Being part of ‘Vettuvam’ as a Mallakhamb trainer and playing even a small role in bringing the sport into the spotlight is a blessing,” Manibharathi said.