Performing arts – be it music, theatre, or dance – are never static. They are performed live, and are often interactive. The nature of any performance is enhanced by how the audience reacts and responds. With every interaction with fellow performers, each performance, and every class that I attended, my relationship with my art form has also evolved. Studying at Ashoka added a new dimension to this relationship. But before writing about that, I would like to tell you the story of how I came to join the world of arts.

I grew up in Paravathur, a remote village in the Vellore district of Tamil Nadu. My introduction to the Kattaikkuttu Gurukulam happened by pure chance – I came to know about it from a cousin who was already studying there. At the time, I was not familiar with the art form, Kuttu, nor did I have any prior training in music. However, this changed and how!

The Gurukulam offers students a double curriculum in acting and music, along with formal education as well. I got the chance to move away from the local government school, to the Gurukulam where I could study on scholarship. I studied there from fifth to the twelfth grade, and in the process became a professional musician as well. Kattaikkuttu is a traditional rural theatre form primarily practiced in Tamil Nadu. Kattai in Tamil stands for wood – performers wear wood ornaments, and hence the name Kattaikkuttu. Performances run throughout the night, sometimes extending beyond eight hours. Kuttu is a very diverse art form, involving elements of dance, drama, singing, and instrumental music. I learnt how to play the mugaveenai, a wind instrument, which is not too popular. There are very few teachers skilled in playing the mugaveenai. It is often regarded as a predecessor to the more well known naadaswaram. At the same time, I also learnt Carnatic music, a classical art very different from Kuttu.

With my time at the Gurukulam coming to an end, I did not want to stop learning and performing my art. Again, it was purely by chance that I came to know of Ashoka – through a workshop organised by a group of Young India Fellows.

It was the first time I was able to talk to somebody who felt that it was possible to continue studying while pursuing my professional aspirations as an artist. Ashoka truly offered me the best of both worlds, and it was an opportunity I did not want to miss.

I am fortunate to be able to say that both the educational institutions that I have been a part of are one of a kind. While one helped me experience the traditional gurukul setting, Ashoka has helped me take those learnings forward and expand my worldview. An academic understanding of the performing arts is helping me delve deeper, and form a more comprehensive understanding of the forms I practice.

One such question that propped up in my mind because of Professor Justin McCarthy’s (Director, Department of Performing Arts) classes was the inequality that exists within and across different forms of performing arts. Why does there exist a division between the ‘classical’ and the ‘folk’? Is it because of the rasa, that is, the quality of performance, or because of the performer’s background? In the many years that I have trained, in both Kuttu and Carnatic, I have found more similarities than differences.

For instance, both forms employ similar ragas, to denote emotions and situations. The only difference that exists then, is the performers’ background. My point is not to draw comparisons between the two different art forms, but to say that one should not be seen as being superior to the other.

Courses at Ashoka such as Introduction to Performance Studies and Poetics in Indian Dance have made me more aware of such thought processes, something I had never engaged with earlier, despite having performed the forms for so many years. These divisions and biases are also the reason why we are losing many traditional arts. As a performer of Kuttu, I want to ensure that folk art forms are revived and celebrated for their uniqueness.

Sasikumar Panchu is an undergraduate student from the class of 2022. As a part of the Kattaikkuttu Gurukulam’s youth theatre company, Sasikumar has performed across the country, collaborating with renowned artists such as Carnatic vocalist, TM Krishna.