Ankita Nair is pursuing her PhD in the discipline of Humanities and Social Sciences at IIT Gandhinagar. She is working on the recent transformations and challenges posed by modernity to the Kerala classical theatre, Koodiyattam. Her research interests include Indian literature, performing arts, and aesthetics. She is trained in Indian classical music, Bharatanatyam, and briefly in Nangiarkoothu, the female solo form of Koodiyattam.
Abstract of the lecture
Kūṭiyāṭṭam: a Transforming and Thriving Theatrical Tradition of Kerala
Koodiyattam is a Sanskrit-based classical theatre of Kerala. The talk will explore the ways in which Kūṭiyāṭṭam took shape as a confluence of Sanskritic and regional traditions with a special focus on its literature and theatrical techniques. While the tradition of staging Sanskrit plays continues, what we see today is a backflow, where artistes often translate Malayalam texts and compose Sanskrit verses for their productions. Either way, Sanskrit remains at the core of this art form. While mapping the specific transformations of Koodiyattam, the talk will highlight the art’s mechanisms of survival.
Readings