For centuries, Kathakali—Kerala’s iconic dance-drama—was an all-male preserve. Women were largely absent, as the art’s intense physicality was believed to demand endurance and strength beyond their capacity. Even female roles were performed by men, reinforcing this tradition.
Change, however, was inevitable. In the 1970s, Kudamaloor Karunakaran Nair trained an all-women troupe, challenging norms but struggling for acceptance. Decades later, a shift emerged—not out of rebellion, but necessity. With financial instability discouraging male enrollments, more women stepped in. Today, institutions like Kerala Kalamandalam and RLV College, once hesitant, now see female students outnumbering males.
What was once an exception is now the norm. As Kathakali evolves, it becomes clear that skill and dedication, not tradition, determine who takes the stage.
