KOCHI: The tale of Chavittu natakam can be traced back to a small island in Kerala, Gothuruth. So much so that the government has included the stamping dance drama as part of the Muziris Heritage Project and has built a Kerala Chavittu Nataka Academy on the island. So, my journey to trace the dance form’s origin also began here.
The bus dropped me in front of a church in Gothuruth. This island is rich in history dating back to the grand flood of Kerala. The church itself was built in 1811.Immediately, a group of elderly people noticed my new face searching for direction. As soon as I said the word ‘chavittu natakam’ their faces brightened and one of them began to break out a few steps from memory “this is how the dance drama used to be at my age,” he says.
Without letting him finish, 72-year-old John P N said the artform used to be a ‘chavittu polippan natakam’ (a splendid stamping drama) that broke the stage with the zestful stamping of the performers.
“The leg of the performers goes till above their head and they stamp with all their energy. The stage, made up of wooden planks, used to break with the power of the performers.
You should have seen the performance of George Kutty Aashan, Ouse Aashan and Pathrose Bagavathar (popular chavittu natakam artists). They could spread their energy and excitement to the audience. They never succeeded in their personal lives, but they ruled the ‘thattu’ (stage) like emperors. In Gothuruth, you can see people like them, who gave their whole life for this divine art form,” says John.
“He used to play instruments for chavittu natakam,” added John pointing to a random person who passed by, emphasising that the art form is somehow connected to their lives.
The inception
Gothuruth was formed after the great Kerala flood of 1341, which destroyed the port of Muziris and led to the development of Cochin port. From the 16th century onwards, agriculture and human settlements began to write the history of Gothuruth. Interestingly, it took a different turn when an art form (chavittu natakam) entered the scene.
Joy Gothuruth, a 61-year-old historian who specialises in chavittu natakam, is the go-to person in Gothuruth to know moe about the art form. So, his home was my first destination. “It reached Kerla along with the Portuguese in the 16th century,” he recalls. “The Portuguese missionaries came here after the renaissance period. These Jesuit missionaries questioned everything they saw — the untouchability and the caste system. They understood that there was no art form for the Christians living in India.”
“Some of the missionaries who learned our language began to write scripts for chavittu natakam. The art form that emerged was a fusion of European opera and Tamilian Therukuthu (an ancient folk dance). The script they wrote was in ‘senthamizh’, a Dravidian language of the epic poem ‘Chilappathikaram’,’ says Joy. He adds, “Kerala and Tamil Nadu shared similar languages and cultures”.
“Chavittu natakam was a cosmopolitan art form that evolved as a mixture of European and south Indian cultures. We can also find some similarities with the Asturian folk dance of the Iberian peninsula,” says Jeejo John, who is the secretary of Gothuruth Arts And Sports Club. He is the one who organises chavittu natakam for the Kochi Biennale.
Kalari, koothu, koodiyattam...
The stamp drama had to transform through different ages under the guidance of different people. It even has some influence on kalaripayattu, koothu and koodiyattam, says the historian. “It was Dalit Christians who taught chavittu natakam and they were also experts in Kalari, koothu etc. That is why the similarities exist,” Joy says.
The historian says another interesting tidbit. Chavittu natakam performers dress up like European kings and soldiers of the medieval age. “This was the 16th century and Keralites were seeing people covering up their entire body with clothes for the first time. And it was not common for south Indians to cover their upper body,” he says.
The name stamp drama misguides us into thinking that the art form is similar to a usual theatrical performance. However, in Gothuruthian stamp drama, the powerful steps according to the beats of an uninterpretable song have many layers.
“Their expressions will be highlighted and they converse like they are singing to each other,” he adds.
Chinnathambi Annavi is hailed as the founder of Chavittu natakam. He has written many scripts for the drama. He is an important personality connected with Gothuruth’s history and the place hasn’t forgotten him. His statue still stands tall here. However, Jeejo says Annavi cannot be an Indian.
“He may be a missionary. His name might have been Paul brother. Annavi is what chavittu natakam teachers were called at that time. A myth about Annavi is that he went to ‘Koonan Kurish’ church in Mattancherry and sang from his heart. Hearing this, the cross in the church melted and bent,” says Jeejo.
The music
Indian instruments such as chenda, tabla and flute were main instruments used in this stamping drama. But now, keyboard, guitar and harmonium have taken over. In the annual student arts festival, the stamp drama is played with prerecorded music and dialogues.
“Though it used to take 15 days to finish one story, now it has been confined to half an hour,” Joy says. Though different versions of chavittu natakam can be seen all around Kerala, the active centres of the artform are Fort Kochi, Gothuruth, and Alappuzha, he adds.
Neglect and hopelessness
To know more about the art form, I met up with Thambi Thayyappilli, a 56-year-old artist who has been a professional chavittu natakam teacher for more than 30 years. “I have taught chavittu natakam to more than 1,400 students so far. Almost 90% of them were women. It is a very lively art form that still entertains the audience as it did in ancient times,” Thambi says, adding that though the art form is mainly centred around Gothuruth, its importance around the state has not faded yet. However, the pandemic and lockdowns have severely affected the lives of the artists. “Chuvadi is an annual fest organised jointly by Kochi Biennale and Gothuruth Sports And Art Club. Since 2012, the fest has been organised for five nights to celebrate the New Year. Due to lack of funds, the programme has been stopped since the advent of the pandemic,” he says.
THE TALE OF A ROMAN EMPEROR
The most played ‘chuvadikal’ (script) in chavittu natakam is ‘Karlsman Charitham’, the tale of Charlemagne, the king of France and the Emperor of Rome. He was a heroic figure during the renaissance. Christians in India began to know that they too had a king who with his good deeds, inspired many. Though he hasn’t participated in crusades, he is shown in chavittu natakam as the king who leads the Christian communities and brings fame and laurels wherever he lay his steps.
An escape
According to Keli Ramachandran, the art form provided a cahnnel for people to express their frustration. “For the communities in the coastal regions, chavittu natakam was an escape from their realities. The performers led a war against the neglect of their families and the colourism and casteism of the savarna people. It was a dream of every performer to become Charlemagne — the Emperor of Rome — at least once in his life,” he says. According to him, many chavittu natakam chuvadikal helped the Christian community learn the customs of their religion too.
Chavittu natakam, an art form that connected the coastal communities, is an integral part of Kochi’s history. TNIE travels where it all began, the island of Gothuruth, in search of the people, who still live and breath this stamping drama