Kapila Venu (Irinjalakuda, India) @ Holding Space : PFS5
5 to 7 March:
Intensive Kutiyattam workshop
(registration required)
As we draw the curtains to our fifth season, we close with the enchanting magic of Kapila Venu.
Kapila Venu is a practitioner of Kutiyattam, one of the oldest living theatre traditions in the world, from Kerala, India. She is a disciple of the legendary Kutiyattam maestro Guru Ammannur Madhava Chakyar and the renowned exponents Guru G Venu and Guru Usha Nangiar. She is also a practitioner of Mohiniyattam dance, which she learned from her mother Guru Nirmala Paniker. For more than two decades, she has travelled the world performing, teaching, and giving workshops on Kutiyattam.
She is a guest lecturer at the National School of Drama in New Delhi and a Master Teacher at the Intercultural Theatre Institute in Singapore.
Public Engagements
5 to 7 March ’25 | Kutiyattam Workshop
an intensive workshop with Kapila Venu
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
10 am – 2 pm
Workshop Fee: Rs. 3,000/-
(Rs. 2,000/- early bird offer till 23 February 2025)
This three-day intensive workshop is for experienced dancers and theatre practitioners. Participants will explore the form of Kutiyattam, focusing on breath and abhinaya, deepening their understanding of this classical art. Through guided practice, they will engage with its expressive techniques, refining movement and emotional expression in a dynamic, immersive learning experience.
9 March ’25 | Saiva Koothu
Kootiyattam performance
Alipore Museum
7pm
Tickets: Rs. 300/-
“She is the one who for ever abides
Beneath the uplifted foot, roseate and redemptive,
Of the Lord of cosmic Dance.”
– Sekkizhar on Karaikkal Ammaiyar
Karaikkal Ammaiyar, the “Mother from Karaikkal,” was likely the first Tamil poet to compose hymns to Siva in the 6th century. Among the 63 Shaiva Nayanmars, she is the only woman. Her 143 verses envision a realm of blissful devotion to Siva, the ultimate truth.
A pioneer of the Bhakti movement, Ammaiyar’s work challenged Brahmanical orthodoxy and embraced the ghoulish yet sacred imagery of Sangam poetry. Identifying as a Pey (demon), she danced in cremation grounds, transcending human limits.
This performance, inspired by Thiruvalangattu Mootha Thiruppadhikam, revives her spiritual vision through the sublime art of Kutiyattam, celebrating the enduring voice of a groundbreaking Tamil poetess.
Meet the Artists
Kapila Venu has studied with renowned Japanese avant-garde dancer Min Tanaka and has performed in two of his choreographies, – Rite of the Forest (2005) and Thottangal (2007).
She has also collaborated with internationally recognised artists and scholars such as Dr. Eberhard Fischer, Peter Oskarson, and Wally CardonaA film on her life, Kapila, won the National Award for Best Cultural Film in 2014. She has received prestigious honors, including the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar, Kumar Gandharva Samman, and the Sanskriti Award.
A disciple of Kalamandalam Eshwaranunni, Kalamandalam Hariharan is trained for six years at Kerala Kalamandalam with a Human Resource Department scholarship. Since joining Ammannur Chachu Chakyar Smaraka Gurukulam in 1995, he has performed globally and collaborated with legends like Guru Ammannur Madhava Chakyar, Guru G Venu, Margi Madhu, and Usha Nangiar.
Hariharan has also worked with international artists like Min Tanaka and Roysten Abel and specialises in Mizhavil Thayambaka and Mizhavu Melam. Currently, he is a key musician with the Natanakairali Kutiyattam Ensemble and a staff artist at Ammannur Chachu Chakyar Smaraka Gurukulam.
Kalamandalam Rajeev is a renowned Mizhavu percussionist celebrated for his mastery in accompanying abhinaya. A graduate of Kerala Kalamandalam, he trained under Padmasree P.K. Narayanan Nambiar and Prof. Kalamandalam Eswaranunni, supported by a Human Resource Ministry scholarship.
Since 1992, he has been a senior staff artist at Ammannur Chachu Chakyar Smaraka Gurukulam and principal musician of the Natakairali Kutiyattam Ensemble. Rajeev has performed globally with legends like Padmabhushan Guru Ammannur Madhava Chakyar and Guru G Venu.
He collaborates on national and international projects and teaches at NSD, Delhi, and is a guest artist at ITI, Singapore. His accolades include the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award and Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar.
Kalanilayam Unnikrishnan is a renowned Edakka percussionist, known for his expertise in accompanying abhinaya in Kutiyattam. Trained at Unnayi Warrier Smaraka Kalanilayam under Sri Kunjunni Asan, he earned diplomas in Edakka and Chenda, later specializing in Thayambaka under Sri Kalamandalam Balaraman. Since 1990, he has performed with Ammannur Gurukulam and Natanakairali, appearing at major festivals like Khajuraho and Bharath Rang Mahotsav. Unnikrishnan has toured extensively with leading Kutiyattam and Kathakali artists and contributed to G. Venu’s productions like Sakuntalam and Vikramorvasheeyam. Currently, he serves as an Edakka artist at Ammannur Chakyar Smaraka Gurukulam.
