Vibrancy of folk theatre captured in photographs

B. Maheshwaran as the Kuravan in Draupadi Kuravanchi performed by the Junior ensemble of the Kattaikkuttu Gurukulam.

In Kattaikkuttu, a traditional folk theatre of Tamil Nadu, India, the actors use their bodies, voice, and mind to tell a story. The performer builds a character through songs, dialogue, movements and facial expressions throughout an all-night performance.

The young actors of the troupe, belonging to the Kattaikkuttu Gurukulam near to Kanchipuram, are taught and trained in Kattaikkuttu. The vibrancy of characters is palpable in the painted faces, energetic movements and costumes of the actors as they enact roles from mythological stories.