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Home > Kerala Temples > Performing Arts > Thullal ThullalThullalAnother notable performing art of Kerala is thullal (a kind of solo dance) and it owes its origin to Kalakkath Kunjan Nambiar (1719-1770 AD) of Killikurissimangalam (Lakkidi in Palakkad district). He was a poet of great originality and his boyhood days were spent at Ambalappuzha engaged in his traditional avocation of beating mizhaav in chaakkiar-kootth. One day he was ridiculed by the Chaakkiar in the course of kootth for his omission in beating the mizhaav at proper time. This incident wounded his heart and on the next day Nambiar in an adjoining place staged his newly evolved solo-dance which took away all the audience of Chaakkiar. This is a great example where indignation of an individual has been rewarded by the emergence of a renowned performing art. ‘There is a strong individuality about his works. From any collection of quotations his lines could be easily picked out. The cadences of the verses are perfect. His verses flow with a grace and elegance that are charming indeed; now and then, they are spirited; at other times they rise to an indignant and dignified eloquence; here and there are passages of keen sarcasm. His works are strewn with jewels that will sparkle for ever. His allusive satire on popular morals and manners must have had its biting effect on the people beyond the power of rod or sermon. He loved Malayalis and therefore, wished to direct them in the way that they should go. Kunjan Nambiar was nothing if not humorous. His humour, warm and all-embracing, bathed his ideas in a genial and abiding light' There are three classes of thullals viz. Ottan, Seethankan and Parayan though generally all take the banner of thullal. Oattan, as the very name indicates, consists of a variety of rapid metres well-suited for amusing narratives, the vrttha for composing them being tharangini. Seethankan the second type, is generally composed in different vrtthas like krisha-madhya, vakthram, kala-kanchi, kaakali etc. Composed in mallika, the Vrttha for Seethankan has a pathetic style. The dresses and head dress are also different for each type. Unlike kathhakali, the thulall actor speaks and dances. The musical instruments used are harmonium (sruthi), maddalam or mrdangam. Unlike kootth which is a sophisticated art with stress on Sanskrit texts and done in the valiambalam or koothambalam of a temple, thullal is a performing art conducted outside the naalambalam and is remarkable for its eloquent usage of simple Malayalam which is easily understood and appreciated by the common man.
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