When the bow strikes glorious stories of the past

CHENNAI: Seated in front of a bow which rests on a mud pot, the storyteller narrates stories of mythology and of social relevance, by striking the bow at intervals. The co-singer repeats the word amam to the turn of events. This is a scene from Villupattu, an ancient form of storytelling, which has references that date back to the time of Tolkappiyam.

Though the art form is dying, Villupattu artiste-cum-Carnatic vocalist T Kalaimagan, is all set for a performance, Amam Podunge, along with his mother, Bharathi Thirumagan, as part of the Mylapore Festival happening this Friday.

“My first-ever performance was Villupattu for All India Radio. I was four. I have imbibed the art from my grandfather and mother. We perform as a family and I am extremely proud of it,” shares the grandson of veteran musician and Villupattu artiste, Subbu Arumugam.

Talking about the upcoming performance, part of the cultural festival in Mylapore, he shares, “The organisers wanted us to perform about Mylapore itself. There are so many historical references of the place and we have taken them and weaved it in Villupattu as songs and conversations,” he explains. “My mother will be the main storyteller and we will be representing both, the old and new Mylapore. It will be like a bridge. We will also be adding Pongal-based songs ahead of the celebrations.”

Scripting exclusive narratives for Villupattu performances is not new to this family of musicians. “My grandfather was the artistic heir to another famous actor-cum-Villupattu artiste NS Krishnan. Thaatha was from Tirunelveli. Impressed by his sense of humour and ability to bring that in scripts, NS Krishnan brought him to Chennai along with him. Since then, thaatha has written several scripts, lyrics and dialogues for about 250 films,” shares Kalaimagan.

But, it was after meeting the sage of Kanchi — Mahaperiyava — that Subbu Arumugam took to Villupattu full-time. “Mahaperiyava asked Thatha to sing a particular piece twice. A decade after this, when he was performing for MS Subbulakshmi, she pointed to that incident and asked thatha to sing that piece again for her,” he smiles.

In Carnatic music, the scope for performers has increased in the last few years. But, for Villupattu, that’s not the case. “There are so many people in the rural areas that have taken up this as a career and are struggling. Except for temple kumbabishekams and thiruvizha, they don’t get an opportunity to play. It’s much worse in the city,” rues the artiste.

Kalaimagan adds that it’s a refined art that needs to be promoted. “Villupattu is versatile — from temples and cultural festivals to political stages and spreading messages about voting rights, anything can be conveyed through this art form,” he opines.

So what does he intend to do? “I want to introduce a certificate course in Villupattu. To get more takers, it has to become a part of the main curriculum. This will give people the confidence that it’s a viable career option. I am working towards that,” he adds.

A touch of history
References to Mylapore from the Tevarams, 4000 Divya Prabandhams, Krithis by Papanasam Sivan that have mentions of Mylai, referred to as Kylai and multiple sthalams  will be also be narrated.

Kalaimagan will be performing along with his mother Bharathi Thirumagan on Jan 5, from 8 pm, opposite Kapaliswarar temple. For details, call: 9445764499