Margins to movement: How Mangai and Marappachi rewrote Tamil Nadu theatre history
For decades, Tamil theatre has been amplifying a narrow set of voices — men behind the mic, stories framed by dominant caste perspectives. Women's roles were performed by men. Narratives of the oppressed were diluted, wrapped in pity rather than power.
The stage long resisted certain stories — those of caste, queerness, or women's lived realities. When such tales emerged, they were often sanitised, made palatable for mainstream audiences.
Change moved slowly, unevenly. Collectives formed. Protests erupted. Silence gave way to speech. A Mangai was part of this shift. Her theatre wasn't born from theory but from grassroots dialogue, contradictions, and feminist solidarity. Mentors, students, collaborators, and context shaped her. Over four decades, Mangai stood at the intersection of performance and protest, staging urgent questions rather than easy answers. Her work echoed lived experience: rage, tenderness, complexity. Now, she pauses not to rest but to reflect, and while doing so, invites us to do the same.
Kulavai 2025 celebrates not just her legacy but the defiant history of Tamil theatre's marginalised storytellers — those who resisted, redefined, and reclaimed the stage. Named after women's sharp ululation — at rituals, protests, celebrations — Kulavai is a reminder of countless stories that still await their turn. Ahead of the event, Mangai speaks with CE about feminist theatre, fractured solidarities, and the slow work of carving space for all.
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