Thullal

Art

Thullal has fast and rhythmic movements and the dancer sings the song accompanied by percussion instruments like maddalam and cymbals and the cymbal player assist the dancer in singing by tuning the rhythm. Like other dance forms Thullal also has colorful costumes and elaborate headgear with facial painting and usually presented during temple festivals.

History of Thullal

Thullal is a solo dance performance which was attributed by Kunchan Nambiar one of the foremost poet and veritable genius of Kerala. There are three types of Thullal prevalent in Kerala like Ottan Thullal, Sheethankan Thullal and Parayan Thullal. Unlike other dance forms Thullal is not rigid and the songs are in simple Malayalam. The presentation is filled with frank wit and humor and connected with incidence of everyday life.

How to perform

Ottan thullal is famous as the poor man’s Kathakali due to its popularity because it combines humor with its steps and gestures. In Seethankan Thullal the dance is a bit slower in tempo and in Parayan Thullal the dance tempo is the slowest of all the three. All the three are identified by the different costumes and the tempo of the dance.