Culture and Conversation

It was a life-changing moment for Hindustani musician Rumi Harish when he met transgender activist and writer A. Revathi. She asked him what he did for a living and he told her he was a classical vocalist. When Rumi found that Revathi had heard classical music only on Doordarshan during state mournings, he spoke about Pt. Bhimsen Joshi and rendered a bandish for her. Rumi narrates this experience during the dramatic reading of a play titled Journey from A to E and More for re

In the late eighties, when theatre groups in the country were mostly led by men, Bombay Gnanam successfully broke the glass ceiling to lead a drama troupe. . She scripted history by starting the Mahalakshmi Ladies Drama Group (MLDG), an all-women team that redefined Tamil theatre. Its plays, especially on social themes, received overwhelming response from the audience.  Bombay Gnanam | Photo Credit: PICHUMANI K On the eve of the 25th anniversary of MLDG, Gnanam chanced upon t

Tamilarasi holds her infant with one hand as she swiftly applies make up with the other. She is getting ready for a Kattaikkoothu performance and is transforming into a menacing Dushasana. S. Tamilarasi, K. Venda, R. Mahalakshmi, A. Bharathi and S. Srimathy have embarked on a dream project — they are part of an all-woman Kattaikkoothu show that hopes to break the social taboos associated with women performing Koothu. As one enters the Kuttu Kalai Koodam in Kanchipuram, a stri

When asked about the significance of Pride Month, Revathi said, “Pride is not just a celebration — but a protest for survival, visibility and acceptance. From forced marriages to conversion therapy, queer people — especially those from working-class and rural backgrounds — fight to just exist without shame. We march to be seen, to affirm that our identities are not a disease or disorder.” Revathi published her first book in Tamil, Unarvum Uruvamum (Our Lives, Our Words) in 20