Dharmapuri Ramakrishnan as Madurai Veeran
| Photo Credit:
Kalvin Joseph
Contemporary performers, students and patrons step up to help folk artistes across Tamil Nadu, breaking barriers between artistic fraternities
Fire stunts, horse riding scenes and rebellious movement make Madurai Veeran Koothu a herculean performance to pull off. The lesser-known artform, which comes under the umbrella of
therukoothu, follows the story of the underdog an oppressed shoemaker’s son who rose through the ranks, only to be killed and is performed with fiery wooden spokes.
For 30 years, Dharmapuri Ramakrishnan lived and breathed as Madurai Veeran on stages across Tamil Nadu. It has been more than a year since he saw a stage. Earlier, when he did not have a show, he would cook for weddings. That, too, is not an option anymore.