Thilagavathi Palani premieres a new Kattaikoothu production on extreme heat starting Tuesday. The 36-year-old performer from Ranipet has adapted the traditional Tamil folk theatre to discuss contemporary issues including climate change. The show will tour schools in Ranipet and Tiruvannamalai districts.
Thilagavathi Palani first entered the male-dominated Kattaikoothu tradition in 2002. She trained at the Kattaikkuttu Gurukulam in Kancheepuram under P. Rajagopal and became one of the first professional female artistes in the form.
Her troupe Sri Thilagam Kattaikkuttu Kuzhu developed the production Veppathin Veriyattam over six months with the NGO Asar. The play depicts children in overheated classrooms, women in tin-roofed homes, and outdoor workers facing dangerous temperatures.
The 13-member troupe includes five professional artistes and five schoolchildren. Performances begin at Vedavalli Vidyalaya in Ranipet before visiting seven schools across the two districts.
Thilagavathi said the story draws from local experiences such as tree felling along the Arcot-Cheyyar Bypass and personal observations of heat-related health impacts. She noted that Kattaikoothu remains vibrant in villages during festival seasons.
