Diploma Course in Kattaikkuttu
Vanakkam. Greetings from Kattaikkuttu Sangam!
Are you passionate about the performing arts? Are you an actor, musician, dancer, or someone curious about exploring the roots of theatre? This is your chance to train in Kattaikkuttu, also known as Therukoothu, one of India’s vibrant traditional theatre forms.
From October 2025 onward, the Kattaikkuttu Sangam plans to offer a first-of-its-kind residential diploma course in Kattaikkuttu that will cover all aspects of this complex theater tradition over the course of 10 months. This foundational training in Kattaikkuttu will allow you to become a performer in a professional Kattaikkuttu theater company and/or further your career as a contemporary theater performer, film actor, or (theater) director.
The Course
The Diploma Course in Kattaikkuttu is a 10-month-long immersive residential program where you will be trained in all aspects of Kattaikkuttu (Perungattur style) under the guidance of Guru P. Rajagopal and his talented team of acting and music teachers. In addition to learning to sing, speak, and act, you will have the opportunity to familiarize yourself with one of Kattaikkuttu’s musical instruments: harmonium, mridangam/dholak, and mukavinai (a small oboe-like wind instrument).
The principal medium of instruction for the course is Tamil, but some of your teachers speak English too. When you are not fluent in Tamil or do not know Tamil at all, we still encourage you to apply. However, you will need to improve your fluency during the course or focus on the non-language aspects of the tradition, such as Kattaikkuttu’s high-energy movement vocabulary, its makeup and costumes, or its music.
The course will culminate in two all-night (i.e., 8-hour-long) productions from the traditional Kattaikkuttu repertoire. The course will also focus on using Kattaikkuttu in a contemporary theatre setting, resulting in the production of an existing short play or new work. Additionally, there is scope for people from an academic background to discover more about the social, economic, and ritual aspects of Kattaikkuttu, in combination with getting to know Kattaikkuttu practice and the theatre’s tacit knowledge system. You will receive a certificate upon completion of your 10 months of training.
Who can apply
We welcome students of all backgrounds from Tamil Nadu, India and abroad who are above 18 years of age and who want to acquire a solid foundation in Kattaikkuttu or a specific aspect of the tradition;
Knowledge of the Tamil language is pivotal to having full access to the tradition; we will support non-native speakers to the fullest extent possible to learn all aspects of the form.
We welcome prior experience in the performing arts, but this is not mandatory to participate in the course;
You need to be a team player who enjoys working in an ensemble theatre and living together with fellow students in a rural Tamil environment
About the Kattaikkuttu Sangam
The Kattaikkuttu Sangam is an association of professional Kattaikkuttu actors and musicians and a rural performing arts center dedicated to promoting the dignity and quality of Kattaikkuttu. The Sangam is based in Punjarasantankal Village, 8 km outside Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu, India.
Kattaikkuttu is a Tamil language-based musical ensemble theatre. Its all-night performances combine music, song, dialogue, acting, movement, make-up, and elaborate costumes to bring to life stories based on the Mahabharata, Ramayana, and Puranas.
This survey
The goal of this survey is to gather information that will help us design the program and identify the interest in such a course. If you are interested in learning Kattaikkuttu at a professional level, we would love to hear from you. Please answer the questions below and submit the form. Any additional information or suggestions from your side are welcome. Thank you!
Contact & other information
Mob: +91 98943 50810 (U. Dharanidharan) or kattaiku@gmail.com (Hanne M. de Bruin-Rajagopal)