Chakyar
Koothu
'Koothu'
is a mono-act in which the actor, the 'Chakyar', acts the role of all the
characters, with the accompaniment of 'Mizhavu' played by the Nambiar and
the cymbals by the Nangiar. The Chakyar expounds puranic stories drawing
parallels from contemporary life in order to emphasize a point or relate a
moral from the story he narrates, all in a humorous way. The
unique humor sense of the Chakyar, the rapturous costumes and echoing
sound of Mizhavu are the vantage points of this ancient art form. In the
earlier days Koothu was very popular among the rural folks. Now it has
reduced into an art form which performs only in temples and the number of
experienced performers are shrinking.
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