THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In 11th-century Kerala, the temple art of Chakyar Koothu was used to entertain the elite caste through its style of storytelling peppered with wit and humour.
The art form has now permeated the modern society, at least some parts of it have, and is being used to entertain guests at weddings or to regale audiences at cultural events, thanks to Pradeep Poolani of Chalakudy in Thrissur.
A well-known mimicry artist in the state with two decades of experience, Pradeep has picked up parts of the traditional art form, specifically its costumes and use of satire, and added his own style and flavour to leave his audience spellbound.
“In Kerala it is the mimicry artist who faces the biggest challenge,” Pradeep told TNIE. “We need to improve every day to survive and one-up our rivals. New performers are emerging daily. Any lapse will cost us dearly. That’s how my quest for new forms took me to Chakyar Koothu,” Pradeep said.
His first performance as a ‘Chakyar’ was during a competition organised by a private channel in 2008-09.
“I was keen on avoiding any controversy. Hence, I took the headgear used by Chakyar Koothu artists, the black moustache they sport and other costumes. I avoided Sanskrit verses and their Malayalam translations from the puranas. However, I used satire to convey my ideas to the audience,” he said. For the first time, the use of Chakyar Koothu enabled the stand-up comedian to interact with viewers.
Meanwhile, Pradeep performed his new twist on the traditional art form in Dubai too, while he was there for six years. However, it was after he returned to Kerala in 2016 that he got more stages for his version of Chakyar Koothu.
Even churches opened their doors for his performances, said Pradeep. He said during many church festivals, he was allowed to perform in the courtyard of the churches. The temples, however, did not allow him to enter the courtyard as the performances should strictly be performed by specific artists and as per the rituals.
One of the videos of his performance during a wedding reception in Ernakulam – where he talked to children about the importance of motherhood – taken by one of the attendees went viral with over one crore or 10 million views.
Pradeep has been performing as a Chakyar during awareness programmes organised by departments like motor vehicles, health and KSEB.
“I am also getting invitations to cultural programmes organised by libraries and other bodies. People enjoy it as it has novelty,” he said.