From the embers of anger and agony is reborn a new Kannagi. Her transformation, from a docile-naïve bride to an avenging angel, forms the crux of Silappadikaram — a fifth-century Tamil epic by Ilango Adigal. A Koodiyattam adaptation of the same, titled Cilappatikaram, staged at Ranga Shankara in Bengaluru, showed how the epic, based on the lives of Kovalan and Kannagi, continues to resonate with modern audiences. Directed by Koodiyattam exponent and acting trainer Sooraj Nambiar, it was presented by Irinjalakuda-based Tripudi Ensemble.

The play is a significant addition to the Koodiyattam repertoire as it places a woman at the centre stage. In a way, Kannagi embodies women fighting prejudice and injustice through the ages, and that underscores the timeless relevance of the play.

Sooraj as Kovalan and Kapila Venu as Kannagi breathed life into the characters with their nuanced expressions and minimalistic movements. The couple, from the ancient port city of Poompuhar, reaches Madurai after Kovalan is financially ruined because of his affair with the courtesan Madhavi. Hoping to begin their life anew, Kannagi gives him one of her anklets to sell. The avaricious goldsmith, whom Kovalan approaches to sell the anklet, falsely accuses him of stealing the queen’s anklet, and the hapless Kovalan is executed without a fair trial.   

Kapila’s transformation from a grief-stricken to a furious woman, demanding justice for her husband, was powerful. Her self-mutilation, in rage, burns down the city of Madurai, and Kannagi is seen as a representation of Kali holding a sword and a silambu.

Speaking about the character, Kapila says during the ‘Navarasa sadhana’, the abhinaya workshop conducted by her father and Koodiyattam guru G. Venu, the participants enact two characters while practising ‘rowdram’ (fury). “One is Narasimha avataram, and the other is Kannagi. I wanted to portray Kannagi for a long time and I am grateful to Sooraj for it.”

Kapila adds, “My mother, Mohiniyattam guru Nirmala Panicker has undertaken a reserach in the Sangam literature. So I have grown up hearing about its different characters. In a sense, I was prepared for it. The text is quite patriarchal. But I refuse to dilute Kannagi’s anger because, regardless of the context, it is about a woman who has been challenged and wronged by society and the system.”

Kapila, who has also performed the role of the courtesan Vasantasena in the Koodiyattam adaptation of Mrichchhakatikam, directed by her father Venu, says what she loved about the character is that she is one of the rare women in Sanskrit drama who is not just wealthy and independent but also has agency and choice.

And how do the stylised acting techniques of Koodiyattam help her portray and interpret characters? Kapila says, “The art form allows one to break down complex emotions and build them brick by brick, analytically. That makes it easier to delve into characters.”

The performance began with resonating beats from a percussion ensemble, comprising the mizhavu and the edakka. “The percussionists are the stars of the play, especially in the last scene. I could feel the emotional state of Kannagi just by listening to the beats,” says Kapila. The percussion team included Kalamandalam Rajeev and Kalamandalam Vijay, and Kalanilayam Unnikrishnan (edakka), while the talam was rendered by Kavya Harish.

Sooraj adds that it was theatre director Sanker Venkateswaran, who discussed the possibility of adapting the Tamil epic into the Koodiyattam format. And Sooraj decided to stick to the Tamil verses instead of translating them into Sanskrit (a language used in Koodiyattam plays).

Cilappatikaram has been conceptualised and produced for Abhivyakti – City Arts Project’s seventh edition, and was premiered in November 2025 in Ahmedabad. The ideation was supported by UNM Foundation.