Culture and Conversation

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