The Thullaldance form of Kerala

Context

During the harvest festival in August-September, the artists prepareto leave home for long spells to perform at temple festivals across Kerala and perform song-and-dance Thullal, which is steeped in a satire on contemporary society through the themes are mythological.

About theThullal dance

• The word 'Thullal' means 'to leap or jump about playfully.
• It emerged in the eighteenth century.
• Three forms of thullal are - OttanThullal, ParayanThullal and SeethankanThullal. Of the three OttanThullal is the most popular.

Key features of the dance form

• A solo performance combines both dance and recitation.
• The performer through the classical acting techniques portrays the various characters in an episode and does the narration.
• Thullal is the explication of a tale which is drawn from the puranas and narrated in verse.
• It was introduced by KunchanNambiar, the renowned poet of the eighteenth century.
• The humorous and satiric mode of presentation and use of simple Malayalam language made thullal very popular among the ordinary people.
• It is accompanied by an orchestra of mridangam, harmonium and cymbals.
• The make-up is simple and very much similar to that of Kathakali.
• The face is painted with yellow arsenic mixed with blue color. The eyes are blackened and lips reddened.
• The dancer wears breast-plate which has golden pearls, necklaces and colourful tassels.
• The white waist clothes resemble the skirts.
• The head-gear is small which is made of light wood and studded with bright stones and decorated with golden paper.
• The bracelets, amulets and waistlets are almost similar as in Kathakali.