Koothu Performance of Krishna's Embassy

Krishna's embassy is an important koothu play in the Bharathakoothu performances

Pre-war negotiations between Duryodhana and Krishna from the all-night play 'Krishna’s Embassy' ('Krishnan Tutu') composed/written by Kalavai Kumarasami Vattiyar – an episode from the Mahabharata as performed in P. Rajagopal’s style of Kattaikkuttu theatre. Performed at the Kattaikkuttu Sangam & Gurukulam, Kuttu Kalai Kudam, Punjarasantankal, Tamil Nadu, India on January 2, 2017.

Duration: 1:29:38 min.

P. Rajagopal (1953) is an actor, director and writer. He grew up in the village of Perungattur, Tiruvannamalai District, Tamil Nadu, India, in a family of traditional Kattaikkuttu performers. P. Rajagopal started the Kattaikkuttu Sangam in 1990 and the Kattaikkuttu Gurukulam in 2002 with his wife Hanne M. de Bruin. Rajagopal has been a Kattaikkuttu actor since the age of 10, first in his father’s company and then, for more than 30 years with his own theatre company. He has performed in the northern districts of Tamil Nadu – the mainland of the Kattaikkuttu tradition – as well as other parts of India, Italy, England, Scotland, Netherlands and Belgium for specific festivals. Rajagopal is currently the artistic director of the Kattaikkuttu Gurukulam. This role is one of the seminal kuttu roles.

Actors:

Krishna – P. Rajagopal

Duryodhana – A. Kailasam

Dharmaraja (Yudhisthira) – R. Kumar

Draupadi – S. Tamilarasi

Kattiyakkaran – M. Doraisamy

Musicians:

Harmonium – S. Balaji

Mridangam/dholak - A. Dillibabu

Mukavinai - P. Sasikumar