CHENNAI: For nearly 20 years before his visit to the Udupi Yakshagana Kendra in Karnataka in 1982, Perungattur Po Rajagopal had been taught the art of Kattaikkuttu the traditional way. Like every artiste, his command over the art form stemmed from years of careful observation of his masters’ performances on stages, with all their complexities, imitation of their movements, however nuanced, and persistent practice, which shaped the person as a whole. For him, learning happened on the move and during the night-long performances, where memory slips and cue misses are laid bare in front of the audience. At the Yakshagana training centre, however, the beat of the drums lingered long after the performances, the art was allowed to stay still, and knowledge was not tacit anymore, but recorded in texts. The space for learning reframed his understanding of how the teaching methods needed to evolve to allow knowledge to be transferred through a pedagogical structure.
In 1990, Rajagopal established Kattaikkuttu Sangam, a non-profit organisation in Kancheepuram, run by and for professional Kattaikkuttu performers. Twelve years later, the organisation founded the Kattaikkuttu Gurukulam, which accomplished the transference of knowledge through formal education. For his pioneering efforts in preserving the art form and innovations in teaching it to new generations of artistes, Rajagopal was conferred with the Kalaimamani Award in 2005.
Inspired by his father’s dedication to the art, Rajagopal had stepped into the world of Kattaikkuttu — one of South India’s oldest folk theatre traditions — at the age of 10. “In those days, there was no proper space to learn or practise the art. Everything happened informally,” said Rajagopal, who is now 72. “When I performed at the Udupi Yakshagana Kendra, I asked myself why no such space existed in Tamil Nadu, where anyone can train to become a Kattaikkuttu actor or musician. I wanted to change that,” he told TNIE.
Atop the organisation’s groundbreaking initiatives was its crown-jewel achievement of dismantling the entrenched gender barrier. For the first time, the centre included and trained female performers. S Tamilarasi (31), an artiste and mentor at the Kattaikkuttu Sangam, said, “Many families hesitated to let their daughters learn the art. I grew up in Cheyyar, Tiruvannamalai district, and my parents stopped me from continuing to learn the art from the Gurukulam, simply because I was a girl.” She held her ground, and after two decades, she has stepped onto the stage thousands of times, including 180 performances across several villages this year alone.
Among those who stand firmly beside Rajagopal in nurturing the art form is his wife, Hanne M de Bruin, a scholar with a Ph D in Indology and Performance Studies from the University of Leiden in The Netherlands. Her academic research on Kattaikkuttu eventually turned into a lifelong commitment to the art. Hanne has spent years documenting performances, and supporting the artistes who keep the tradition alive. But her concerns go beyond scholarship. She believes the art urgently needs structural support from the government. “We need a school dedicated to Kattaikkuttu; a safe training space for students and aspiring women performers; and a place where the art form’s complex tacit knowledge and know-how is transmitted,” she said. “We have the space and expertise, but adequate funds are essential to conserve the art form and pass it on to future generations,” she said, her voice full of conviction.
The learning centre facilitated the conservation, dissection and transmission of the art form, which has gone on to alter the destinies of numerous artistes. P Sasikumar, a 23-year-old mukaveena player from Ranipet, joined the centre in 2012 and went on to complete an interdisciplinary BA in English and Performing Arts at the Ashoka University. As he ventured deep into the world of Kattaikkuttu, Sasikumar found himself drawn to the underrated mukaveena — a wind instrument used in Sadir performances in the 1940s. “With the support of T M Krishna’s team, I travelled across TN, collecting information, meeting old artistes, and understanding the history of the instrument. I want this art—and the mukaveena—to reach all groups of people, everywhere,” he said.
For Rajagopal though, his commitment to the art goes into the sphere of expanding the scope of Kattaikkuttu. “My goal is the same. To review the scope of what the theatre can be as a repository of tradition and contemporaneity, to engage people emotionally and make them aware of their rich Tamil heritage, and to produce both traditional and new repertoire that speak to the heart,” said the veteran, who has performed and discussed the art across boundaries, in Italy, Belgium, Holland and England.
In October 2025, the Kattaikkuttu Sangam initiated a residential Kattaikkuttu Diploma Course supported by a grant from the Tata Trusts. Among its 20 students are actresses Maya S Krishna and Karuna Amarnath.
Visit https://www.kattaikkuttu.org/ to learn more about the productions, courses and fellowships offered.