optical illusion

First things first. I’d like to thank you all for  reading my articles even though im fairly inexperienced in writing. Something happened recently which is the cause for my deliberation. Let me describe it to you in detail…

Weekends to me  equals  a day out with my friends usually. But this weekend was a welcome change from routine which stirred something within me.

Place :   Spaces , Besant nagar , Chennai

Time : 5 Pm  ,  march 17 2018

An event called “kaatchi pizhai”  (meaning – optical illusion ) was starting and entry was free for all.

The theme was “Theru koothu” (meaning – street play ) i.e  a traditional street art form used to convey a story using music , dialogues etc . Once a prevalent art form, it still lives today through rural temple festivals .But how many of us are truly aware of this art form? I'm pretty sure most of us have never heard of the name , much less a chance to see it.

So kaatchipizhai intended to create awareness on this art form. There was also an exhibit containing photographs , props for sale. Not the conventional money laundering, rather ,the Funds raised were to be used for the welfare of these artists.After the exhibit , other traditional arts of Tamilnadu like oyilaatam ,  mayilaatam , karagam and parai were showcased.

There’s the usual misconception that these artists would be illiterate, but no.  People whom I saw that day were graduates , working in Loyola. They have dedicated themselves to the cause of preserving our traditional arts and I salute their initiative.

To see them in action caused goosebumps for me.  We have a treasure trove of such beautiful arts and yet we seek entertainment elsewhere , following someone else’s footsteps. We can’t change the entire world , rather let change stem within ourselves. We can start by including Tamil traditional songs and dance at festivals celebrated at our home , all the more reason for us Tamils to be proud of our ethnicity.

Kaatchi pizhai continued to the next day. The main theru koothu event , titled “madhurai veeran” was scheduled that day and I was fortunate to witness the art for the first time . Songs and dialogues blended seamlessly with the performance , beautifully narrating a story. The icing on the cake would be the performance of an artist dressed as fire. He was well into character , resulting in a ferocious delivery. I’ve never seen something like it before.

In this digital era , its very easy for any information to reach  the public. But in earlier days , sans all this tech and media , it was  theru koothu which ingrained epics into people’s  minds. We celebrate film actors who recite the lyricist’s dialogues , lip sync to the music director’s songs , and dance to the choreographer’s routine. But these people write their own dialogues , set tunes , choreograph all by themselves and they too are worth our adulation. When we are willing to let actors rule us , the least we can do to these artists is to create an opportunity for them  to showcase their talents.

“Madhurai veeran” came to an end with a  standing ovation and applause. A woman with her child stood to take a photograph with the troupe. One of the artists tried to touch the child’s feet in respect. When the mother tried to stop him , he insisted on being photographed like that saying “ all of you cherished our performance and applauded .Let me at least pay my respects to you this way”. They expect nothing in return but our acceptance and as long as such pure souls exist , arts would thrive .

We needn’t shower them with gifts and money . A hearty welcome with applause would suffice.