Koothu (53 min; 2018; dvd; English and with subtitles)

Director: Sandhya Kumar

Film courtesy: Public Service Broadcasting Trust

 

 The art and politics of Koothu, a living theatre tradition from Tamil Nadu.  Performed as an all-night play that recreates tales from the Indian epics, it is closely connected with the caste and ritual practices of the village people. The film looks at these practices, and the performance aesthetics and perspectives of the art form, through the works of two contemporary theatre companies, led by P. Rajagopal and  Sambandhan Thambiran