Veteran theatre personality Na. Muthuswamy, founder of avant-garde theatre group ‘Koothu-p-pattarai’, died in Chennai on Wednesday. He was 82.
Mr. Muthuswamy founded the theatre group in 1977 after studying for several years the traditional folk theatre.
In an interview to The Hindu in 2008, Muthuswamy said he remembered being ‘swept off his feet’ when he saw a theru-k-koothu , a street theatre performance in the early 1970s, which prompted him to delve into the art.
The group is known for plays centred around modern, contemporary themes and the members incorporated several aspects of folk theatre, martial arts, mime and choreography to depict social issues and transformation.
Actors Vijay Sethupathi, Guru Somasundaram and Pasupathy are among the notable alumni of the theatre group who have gone on to make a mark in the film industry.
Muthuswamy was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 1999 and Padma Shri in 2012.
