In Chennai, Margazhi arrives like a quiet swell. A gentle rise of tanpura, palms tapping on thighs, vocals rising and falling, and the audience left in a trance; it is the season when the city breathes art as naturally as air. However, over the past three years, a new addition to the regular cultural events taking place across the city has emerged. An event which is softer than the sabha buzz, smaller in scale, yet somehow more meaningful and impactful.
Kutty Kutchery, a 10-day festival of intimate, alternative-space performances curated by dancer and co-founder of Rasoham, Laasya Narasimhachari, returns this year in its third edition. Over the years, the festival has grown wider, deeper and surer of its direction. “It’s (the festival) not a breakdown. It’s a breakthrough. The curation is fresh and different. People are going to perceive and receive art in a very different way each time,” she says.
Putting together a festival of this scale — artistes from the city and outside, held at unconventional spaces such as terraces, temples, dance and yoga studios, art galleries, cafés, educational institutions, and nature-centric spaces — Kutty Kutchery was never meant to be an easy exercise; its very philosophy opposes most of the old expectation and set traditions in terms of artistes invited, performances presented, the venues and for the audiences it is performed.
This year, she brings in two artistes from beyond Chennai — Kuchipudi exponent Vaijayanti Kashi from Bengaluru and Goan classical Portuguese vocalist Sonia Shirsat. The reason, Laasya says, “[We] want a different perspective from a performer from a different city, from its art environment.”
For Laasya, every artiste, every form, every voice becomes a reflection of self. “It (the art form) is prayer, purpose, identity. It defines us,” she says.
Kutty Kutchery is structured to eliminate hierarchy: no dominant stage, no overpowering format, no curated distance between performer and viewer. When set up without any distance and difference, Laasya says, “There is no power shift. The only thing that holds power in this entire curation is art. Everyone here puts art ahead of themselves. The festival is not about an individual flourishing — it’s about an art economy flourishing.” She explains that this economy isn’t built on performance alone.
Each of the curated performances is followed by a guided interaction with the attendees. For the artistes, it’s a moment of spontaneous, unpredictable, and grounding truth. Laasya says, “For an artiste, doing something on the spot is the most satisfying. More than rehearsals or choreography. That spontaneity is a gift.”
Audiences have changed, too. Where once viewers quietly consumed performances, they now enter the space with vulnerability, curiosity, and a sense of responsibility. “The audience has evolved into a level of awareness I felt was missing earlier. Now they are a part of the performance. Their authenticity mirrors the artiste’s authenticity,” she notes.
According to Laasya, “The question and the answer are equally important. Different people think differently, and when they ask questions after receiving the art performances, that’s the learning I don’t want to miss.”
Laasya speaks of a collective turning on the lineup this year, which includes dancing, singing, storytelling, puppetry, tribal music, contemporary work. “Watching different art forms at the festival taught me that the right way forward is doing it together. This is how we change the face of an economy — when people start voting for something more, something meaningful. That becomes the new normal.”
A quiet revolution rooted in intimacy, carried by conversation, and sustained by the unwavering belief that art deserves better. “I always look forward to coming out of this as a better person and artiste. The dream is much bigger than the 10 days,” concludes Laasya.
Kutty Kutcheri Festival 2025 will be held from December 13 to 22. Entry is free. Registration is mandatory. To register, visit rasoham.org