Chennai: Kattaikkuttu, a traditional form of theatre, relies on stories from epics such as the Mahabharata and the Puranas. Thilagavathi Palani, a folk artist who upended the status quo of this male-dominated storytelling format, is using the stage to spread the word about climate change. She is the founder of the troupe Sri Thilagam Kattaikkuttu Kuzhu, and her production titled ‘Veppathin Veriyaatam’ (The Frenzied Dance of Heat) talks about extreme heat and its impact on people’s everyday lives.Last week, she performed at Vedavalli Vidyalaya, Ranipet, and the tour is currently underway across schools in Ranipet, Walajapet, and Tiruvannamalai — regions recording some of the highest temperatures in the state. Her crew will perform today at Madras University’s Guindy campus and the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), as part of the Foundation’s international conference on building gender-just food, land and water systems.The performance is organised in collaboration with Asar Social Impact Advisors, a startup in the environment and social justice impact space, which provided Thilagavathi with data about climate change and extreme heat. But for the artist, it’s an intensely personal work. “Farmers are no longer able to work till noon. My father used to perform Kattaikkuttu at night and then work in the farm till midday. Now he’s stopped as it is too hot.”She says the path to her house on Arcot Road was covered by a canopy of trees that have now been chopped off to widen the stretch. “I don’t ride my bike anymore due to the heat. “I’ve included these anecdotes in the performance.” Thilagavathi, who plays a clown, taught children about global warming, the greenhouse effect, planting trees and saving water through her recent performance. The kids enjoyed the 45-minute performance, and it got them thinking, says Thilagavathi. “The teachers told us that there is more impact when something is told through comedy,” she adds.
