Ganesan is now fifty seven. Beginning a glorious career in performing arts by helping his father Mottaiyan in puppeteering, he graduated to orchestrating separate acts all by himself even at the age of fifteen. He journeyed into koothu at the age of sixteen with the initial role of Kattiyangaran, in the footsteps of his grandfather Sadayan. Mantling the role of women for ten years, his mastery of even smaller roles is a testimony to his genius. Blending a new language, aesthetics and technique with the matchless rendition of tradition, be it Dhuriyodhanan or Langeshwaran or even roles that are imperceptible, when he gets on to the stage. One can expect him to perform in a manner that sets the ultimate benchmarks for all the aspects of a koothu performance – voice, act, psyche, behaviour, aesthetics, completely flawless in execution and not a bit down on the part of artistic grandeur. Apart from this, his technical superiority also has its roots from his knowledge and expertise in making the puppets in leather by himself. Playing of the instruments such as melam and the box, instruments for the male parts in koothu, costumes and colours that go with it, such is his skill, almost a polymath and an encyclopedia when it comes to this art. It is obvious that he would have reached greater pinnacles of recognition if he had had the choice of formal education. The two day interaction with him on the premise of Sangeet Kala academy’s association with Kalari to conduct puppet performances in New Delhi has been the core base for the interview given here.
Sincere and dedicated to his art, Koolipatti Subramani enacts themes and acts that are unusual and rarely adapted by his peers. Such as Yayathi kalyanam, Varunamala thavasu, Kovilan sarithiram. His uniqueness lies in the way he scripts his acts without a snag. The attention he gives to the potentials of a limitless and untiring voice, appropriateness of body language, necessary adavu movements are what makes him one of the notable masters of this dying art.
There is a palpable quality in whatever he does, be it the stand, the postures, the movement or the way the plot flows through the act. His intolerance towards errors in performance, even those of others is a trait that ensures this quality. Any artist who comes across this touchstone of an artist and is willing to assess his own skill by interacting with him can himself be said to have an in-depth knowledge of the art.
Raju has many more identities and skills other than beyond being a koothu artiste. Today most people who don the role of a woman have raju as their role model. He has an innate individuality built into his role, make up, voice and body postures which are unparalleled in the art.
An artist untouched by money and glamour, In a field where one word of ten is a falsehood, this man practises truth sincerely. In an age infected by the diseases of cinema, tv and vain art, he follows his illustrious teacher Keerappapappampadi Kuppan and honours his memory by preserving that heritage. He found in art what he lost in his youth. He has to be credited with discovering the distinguished genius of Kombadipatti Raju and also Kanaku, a transgender whose life he almost redeemed through koothu. Even though he is known for acting the roles of Duryodhanan, Mayil raavanan, Arjunan etc, his determination to see through his performance without a glitch and his unflinching honesty that can never be questioned in the face of the lure from money are what makes him a league apart in the practices of koothu.
Roof maker and koothu artist, Ganesan alternates between these two identities. Initiated and trained by his dad into koothu, the initial practices in acts such as Soorasamharam, Bull fight (Madupidi chandai), Stepmother squabbles (Matrandhai Kodumai)etc slowly graduated and progressed to transforming musical plays such as Dhamayanthi Kalyanam, Arichandra Mayana Kandam, Sathiyavan Savithri into complex koothu acts. His experiments continue till date. His concern that artists should have no financial and mental troubles has been important in keeping his group members consistently creative and happy. He also takes a keen interest in stage decoration and insists that koothu should synchronise well with its music which he regards as its lifeline.
Chettipatti Chinnaalu as he is called, draws in huge numbers of enamoured spectators, especially women, whenever he performs. They come in droves, in bullock carts to watch this septuagenarian perform with his handsome face, charismatic appearance, an unmatched voice and indomitable spirit. With his celebrated Jama (Koothu troupe) – Thamaiyan Periyaalu, Seenukomali, Salem Munusamy, Kannantheri Pachamuthu Vaathiyaaru – that has almost ruled the Salem region for a humongous 4 decades, his performance even attracts other fellow koothu artists who stop their acts to watch his darbar. Even to this day, he performs with the spirit and youthfulness of twenty year old and mesmerises the audience which speaks volumes about the charm koothu still has over the people.