Prof.Dr.VK Agarwal at 15:19, 8 September 2025

2025-09-08T15:19:31Z

New page

{{Short description|Form of folk art in Kerala, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2019}}
[[File:കാക്കാരിശ്ശിനാടകം - അവതരണം.jpg|Kakkathis|thumb]]
[[File:കാക്കാരിശ്ശിനാടകം - പുരുഷകഥാപാത്രം.jpg|Sundara Kakkan|thumb]]
'''Kakkarissi Natakam''' is a [[Folk arts|folk art]] form of [[Dance in India|dance drama]] which includes music, originating in southern India, in the states of [[Kerala]] and [[Tamil Nadu]]. It is especially associated with Kerala.

==History==
Kakkarissi Natakam originated in southern Kerala<ref name=ramnath2012/> and Tamil Nadu.<ref name="NIE"/> At first, the natakam would only be performed in front of minor [[Hindu deities]], and audiences were mainly drawn from lower socio-economic classes and various lower [[Caste system in India|castes]]. Performances were long, often lasting through much of the night.<ref name=ramnath2012/>

==Description==
[[File:Kakkarissi Nadakam at Kollam.ogg|Kakkarissi Nadakam| thumb]]
This art form is more popular in the southern regions of Kerala. It is a form of musical [[drama]], and the language used is a blend of [[Tamil language|Tamil]] and [[Malayalam]].<ref name="NIE"/> It has all the elements of [[Theatre of India|traditional Indian theatre]], and combines music, dance, and [[Mime artist|mime]]. The performances are often humorous, and blend satire and social commentary into the narrative.<ref name=ramnath2012>{{cite web | last=Ramnath | first=Ambili | title=Keeping the torch burning | website=[[The Hindu]] | date=11 October 2012 | url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/theatre/Keeping-the-torch-burning/article12553579.ece | access-date=25 May 2025}}</ref> A [[Play (theatre)|play]] is performed with dance and songs, accompanied by musical instruments which include the [[mrudangam]], [[harmonium]], [[Kanjira|ganchira]], chenda and [[Handbell|kaimani]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.keralaculture.org/|title=Kakkarissi Natakam - a folk theatrical art form|website=www.keralaculture.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.keralatourism.org/artforms/kakkarissi-natakam/20|title=Kakkarissi Natakam - a satirical dance-drama, Performing art|website=Kerala Tourism}}</ref>

The story is built around [[Shiva|Lord Shivan]] with his consort [[Parvati|Parvathi Devi]], who arrived on earth in the form of [[Kakkala language|Kakkalan]] and Kakkathi, a nomadic tribe of [[fortune teller]]s.<ref name="NIE"/><ref name=ramnath2012/> Sundara Kakkan, Kakkathis, Vedan, and Thampuraan are some of the main characters in this art form.<ref name="NIE">{{Cite web|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/2017/jul/05/bringing-kakkarissi-to-life-1624378.html|title=Bringing Kakkarissi to life|website=The New Indian Express}}</ref>

==Notable practitioners==
[[P. K. Rosy]], the first actress in a [[Malayalam film]], was an accomplished Kakkarissi Natakam performer in the 1920s, before she played the lead role in [[J. C. Daniel]]'s 1928 film ''[[Vigathakumaran]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/pk-rosys-story-how-malayalam-cinemas-first-woman-actor-was-forced-leave-state-109169 |title=PK Rosy's story: How Malayalam cinema's first woman actor was forced to leave the state |last=Rajendran |first=Sowmya |date=19 September 2019 |website=The News Minute |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190920122529/https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/pk-rosys-story-how-malayalam-cinemas-first-woman-actor-was-forced-leave-state-109169 |archive-date=20 September 2019 |access-date=25 May 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Shaji | first=K A | title=As Google honours Dalit heroine PK Rosy, Kerala film academy struggles to name award after her | website=The South First | date=10 February 2023 | url=https://thesouthfirst.com/kerala/as-google-honours-dalit-heroine-pk-rosy-kerala-film-academy-struggles-to-name-award-after-her/ | access-date=19 May 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Pillai | first=Geetha Sunil | title=Dalit History Month: How the Caste System Buried Kerala's First Christian Filmmaker & Dalit Actress 97 Years Ago | website=The Mooknayak English - Voice Of The Voiceless | date=3 April 2025 | url=https://en.themooknayak.com/society/dalit-history-month-how-the-caste-system-buried-keralas-first-christian-filmmaker-dalit-actress-97-years-ago | access-date=20 May 2025}}</ref>

Sreedharan Asan (born {{circa|1923}}), studied under Gopalan Asan, becoming a well-known artist and teacher of Kakkarissi Natakam. He led his own troupe, called Natana Kairali. When [[Travancore]] was a kingdom ruled by a [[Maharaja]], the troupe performed for him at the "vetta and vilakku" festival of the [[Padmanabhaswamy Temple]], dedicated to [[Vishnu]], in [[Thiruvananthapuram]]. They also performed at the World Malayalam Conference, and in [[Delhi]], for [[Indira Gandhi]] as well as [[Rajiv Gandhi]]. At the age of 89, Sreedharan Asan was feted by the Soorya Stage and Film Society, which organised a [[Puja (Hinduism)|pooja]] for him.<ref name=ramnath2012/> In 2011, he won a [[Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award]] in the folk art (Keraleeya Kalakal) category.<ref>{{cite web | title=Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Awards announced | website=[[The New Indian Express]] | date=11 January 2012 | url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2012/jan/11/sangeetha-nataka-akademi-awards-announced-329051.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230226181843/https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2012/jan/11/sangeetha-nataka-akademi-awards-announced-329051.html | archive-date=26 February 2023 | url-status=live | access-date=25 May 2025}}</ref>

==Writing==
[[G. Bhargavan Pillai]], a writer on Kerala folklore, published his work about the art form, titled ''Kakkarissinatakam'', in 1976.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.keralatourism.org/artforms/kakkarissi-natakam/20|title=Kakkarissi Natakam - a satirical dance-drama, Performing art}}</ref><ref name=openlibauthor>{{cite web | title=Ji Bhārggavanpiḷḷa | website=Open Library | date=28 August 2008 | url=https://openlibrary.org/authors/OL649325A/Ji_Bha%CC%84rggavanpil%CC%A3l%CC%A3a | access-date=25 May 2025}}</ref><ref>[https://find.uoc.ac.in/Record/228659 ''Kakkarissi Natakam''], library catalogue entry at the [[University of Calicut]]</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite journal | last=V.R. | first=Renjitha | title=Folk tradition of Sanskrit theatre: a study of "kutiyattam" in medieval Kerala| journal=[[Proceedings of the Indian History Congress]] | publisher=[[Indian History Congress]] | volume=74 | year=2013 | issn=22491937 | jstor=44158830 | pages=313–322 | url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/44158830}}
==External links==
* [https://archive.org/details/dni.ncaa.CCRT-91-UMHB "Kakkarissi Natakam: Folk theatre of Kerala"] (Video, 34 min.) Published by Centre for Cultural Resources & Training, Delhi on the Internet Archive.
* [https://ncaa.gov.in/repository/search/displaySearchRecordPreview/CCRT-188-UMHB/Alha-Udal-Folk-Music-of-Uttar-Pradesh-and-Kakkarissi-Natakam-Folk-performance-of-Kerala Alha Udal: Folk Music of Uttar Pradesh and Kakkarissi Natakam: Folk performance of Kerala] (Video, 50 min.) Created in 1986, starring Shri Lallu Vajpayee and his troupe. Published by Centre for Cultural Resources & Training, Delhi (Ministry of Culture).

[[Category:Performing arts in Kerala]]

Kakkarissi Natakam - Revision history

Prof.Dr.VK Agarwal at 15:19, 8 September 2025