Abandoned Art

Art is never finished,it is only abandoned.”-Da Vinci ‘Abandoned’ yes! That’s one of the perfect words to describe our street plays and dances. What makes me sick is that we like to watch some actor and actress bust some moves and we be like wow . Think of the classic street artists .. Think of the artists who still earn a living through the traditional street art forms ... Despite of having potential .. They are being ignored and when they perform a street play .. We usually put our hands to the pocket and search for chillars (coins) I am NOT critiscing commercial movies or songs .. Its just taken as a comparison on what satisfies us and what type of an audience we are. Street art form of dance or drama is something which is their in our roots .. These artists have played a very very important role in our independence struggle too. And now their condition is pathetic... This art form is slowly dying .. India has a rich history when it comes to art forms.And moreover I feel that most of our mythologies and epics have reached the commoners only through these street plays and dramas. We owe a lot to them when it comes to culture. And now they don’t even need to ‘act’ to draw tears from their eyes .. seeing the empty bowls with coins falling infront of them is more than enough. I think its high time for us to acknowledge these art forms and artists before they are gone for good. Here are 3 of such art forms: Bommalattam or puppet show Puppet shows are held in every village during festivals and fairs. Many different kinds of puppets are used for this show - cloth, wood, leather, etc. They are manipulated through strings or wires. The puppeteers stand behind a screen and the puppets are held in front. The stories enacted in the puppet shows are from Puranas, epics and folklore. These shows are very entertaining and hold both adults and children enthralled for many hours. Theru Koothu Theru koothu is possibly the most popular entertainment forms in rural Tamil Nadu. It literally means "street party". These are shows that resemble musical plays and are normally conducted during village festivals, during the Tamil months of Panguni and Aadi. The show is put up at the junction of three or four streets in open air theaters/makeshift stages, and the place is lit by gas lights. Kampadavu Kali A war dance which is the legacy of an ancient past. The dance is performed in circles and the dancers utter wild war cries as it gathers momentum. The group formations are many varied and the power and variety of rhythm exquisite.