Chakyar koothu

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Guru Padma Shri Mani Madhava Chakyar performing Chakyar koothu

Chakyar Koothu is a type of performing arts from Kerala, south India. It is a kind of mono act. It is the traditional equivalent of a stand-up comic act. However, unlike the stand-up comics, the performer has a wider leeway in that he can heckle the audience.

"Koothu" means dance - which is a misnomer, since there is minimal choreography involved in the art form; facial expressions are important, though. Traditionally, it was performed inside a Hindu temple and the performer begins with a prayer to the deity of the temple. He then goes on to narrate a verse in Sanskrit before explaining it in the vernacular Malayalam. The narration that follows touches upon various current events and societal factors with great wit and humor.

Koothu was traditionally performed by the Chakyar community. The part of Koodiyattam, which involves only lady characters are performed by women of Nambiar caste, Nangyarammas are called as as Nangyar Koothu, which has nothing to do with Chakyar Koothu. Only two instruments accompany the performance - a mizhav and a pair of cymbals.

Chakyar Koothu was performed only in Koothambalams of Hindu temples, it was visionary Guru Nātyāchārya Vidūshakaratnam Padma Shree Mani Madhava Chakyar ( who was the greatest Koothu and Kudiyattam artist ) brought Koothu and Kudiyattam outside temples by performing it outside for common people. He is considered as the greatest Koothu and Kutiyattam artist of modern times.
When Mani Madhava Chakyar's guru, His Highness Darsanakalanidhi Rama Varma Parikshith Thampuran wrote a new Sanskrit champu prabandha called Prahlādacharita and requested some senior artists to study and perform the same on the Chakyar koothu stage, they said it was impossible for them to stage such a new prabandha. Then the guru asked Mani Madhava Chakyar, who was then a comparatively young artist, to try. He agreed and studied a part of the prabandha within one night and performed the same on next day itself at Tripunithura - the then capital of Kochi state! The incident made great scholars to accept his mastery over both Sanskrit and the classical art form. After some months, he performed entire Prahlādacharita at the same stage.