Folk artist S. Sakkan, 35, of Elavudai village, Dharmapuri, recalls how crushing poverty forced a few nagaswaram artistes to beg during the lockdown. Now there is a glimmer of hope with the poll under way. They are getting calls to perform.
He runs a troupe of nearly 20 artistes, who can thrill their audience with performance in nagaswaram, thavil, parai, oyilattam, karakam and poikkaal kuthirai aattam.
“So far, two parties have invited us to perform in Chennai. In the past, we have staged Veethi Nadakam (street plays) on subjects like awareness of breast cancer, tuberculosis, rainwater harvesting and even on the importance of preserving tourist spots,” Mr. Sakkan says. Recently, the government asked them to perform on the importance of voting.
“We [normally] get work for five or six months a year; what we earn for six months has to keep us going for the rest of the year,” he adds.
R. Kaleeswaran, 57, an arts and literary professor, engages the artistes for training his students in folk arts. He says it has been a challenging time for the artistes. “The election is a starting point for them to get opportunities. It will be followed by temples hopefully calling them to perform during the Tamil month of Aadi and other festivals this year,” he says. And it is not just about opportunities; there are other challenges too. “Sometimes, middlemen pocket half their remuneration; if they travel to another district to perform, sometimes they aren’t given accommodation, and the female artistes feel uncomfortable with comments that are passed. It is a life filled with distress, yet they fight relentlessly,” he says.
A. Arockiya Mary, a folk artist, says the government should give them opportunities all through the year to help preserve the art forms. “If you want to promote a specific cause, storytelling and art is a powerful way to do it. We have made a difference in many districts. All we ask is to give us the opportunity,” she says.
