Mrcchakatikam marks a big leap for women in Koodiyattam

As I held the burning wicks of the nilavilakku (brass stage lamp) to perform my first Koothu Mudikkal/Mudiyakkitha ritual, my hands trembled, and I was emotionally overwhelmed. I felt the palpable presence of my fellow actresses, my predecessors and all actresses of the future to ever grace the stage. I prostrated in front of the lamp. It was a moment that must be etched in the history of the shifting gender dynamic in traditional theatre forms around the world.

In June this year, we had the dress rehearsal for our Koodiyattam play The Little Clay Cart, an adaptation of Sudraka’s timeless classic Mrcchakatikam – directed by exponent, scholar and director G. Venu.

I play Vasantasena, the empowered courtesan. She is intelligent, wealthy, independent, has agency and chooses her romantic partner, an impoverished nobleman. She offers generous support and refuge to those who seek her help, defies a powerful villain and survives an attempted murder. 

One of the most significant features of G. Venu’s directorial endeavours in Koodiyattam is the seriousness with which female characters are crafted, and the significant space and time that lead female actors occupy in performance, rare in traditional Koodiyattam repertoire. 

Kapila as Vasanthasena, Aran Kapila as Rohansena and Anjana S Chakyar as Rajanika
| Photo Credit:
Thulasi Kakkat

G. Venu’s directorial debut started with an adaptation of Kalidasa’s Abhijnana Sakunthalam, which premiered in the year 2000. In subsequent works, notably the adaptations of Kalidasa’s Vikramorvasheeyam and Bhasa’s Urubhangam, the portrayal of the two female characters Urvashi and Gandhari, respectively, invite special attention. The director boldly diverges from the original text when needed, to reinterpret these two women with more complexity, depth and personality than what the playwright had originally intended. Both characters share equal space and prominence with their male counterparts even though Gandhari is not the protagonist of Urubhangam and has very little to say in the original text, signalling a conscious rewriting of patriarchal storytelling.

Yet, the most radical shift in the gender balance arrived at the very end of the play when I, as a lead female performer, was assigned the honour of performing the Bharathavakya – final benediction and Koothu Mudikkal (also known as Mudiyakkitha), the ritualistic conclusion of a Koodiyattam performance. 

The phrase Koothu Mudikkal would literally translate as ‘the tying of the Koothu’, and the word Mudiyakkitha translates as ‘the song to finish’. It carries deep spiritual and theatrical meaning. The responsibility to perform the Mudiyakkitha usually rests on the lead male actor of a performance

A powerful scene from Mrcchakatikam 
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Mudiyakkitha symbolises gratitude to the gods, the audience, and marks the completion of the sacred duty of a performer. A woman can now stand as ritual leader and principal bearer of tradition.

Contemporary Koodiyattam sees powerful, intelligent women performers claiming the stage. As the gender composition of the audiences evolves, so do the performances. Actors of all genders are forced to reinterpret their roles with a sensitivity that speaks to a more inclusive world.

Performing the Mudiyakkitha, I felt the beginning of a new era. In the flame of that lamp, I see the future.

To be presented by Chidagni Foundation, Mricchakatikam by G. Venu will be premiered in Chennai this Sunday, 6 p.m., at the Bharata Kalakshetra Auditorium, Tiruvanmiyur.

The writer is a Koodiyattam exponent.