Rajeev Pulavar

"Art, for me, is not an escape — it is a way of connecting"

THOLPAVAKOOTHU · 14th generation practitioner · KOONATHARA, SHORANUR, KERALA

Verified & Field Documented

Biography

Where it began

n temples of Kerala,

the stories begin after dark.

Leather puppets.

Oil lamps.

Drum beats.

Before the lamp is lit, the Koothumadam smells of coconut oil and old wood.

As drums echo through the night,

the stories of the Kamba Ramayana emerge through narration and shadow.

Philosphy

The Spark

Rajeev grew up in Koonathara, in a house where performances often ran past midnight. He watched from the wings no classroom, no formal training, just presence.

"I don't remember a day when Tholpavakoothu entered my life. It was always around me, in performances, temple spaces, conversations, everyday life.

The quiet of the night... the sound of the wind... temple surroundings... those moments stay with me.

Rajeev Featured on Kaumudy TV

Insight01

Before cinema had a screen, Kerala had the dance of shadows.

For centuries, audiences gathered after sunset to watch stories unfold through light, leather, music, and narration. Long before motion pictures, Tholpavakoothu transformed shadow into storytelling bringing the legends like Ramayana to life one puppet at a time.

Before I fully understood what tradition meant, I was already watching and listening."

The same stories, told again and again, over years. None of it announced itself as teaching.

"Some things are learned slowly, through repetition. By being present. By watching the same stories unfold again and again."

Sapgrain field notes 01

“We expected to hear stories about the puppets. Instead, Rajeev picked up his tools.”

Before speaking about the tradition, he began demonstrating how a leather puppet is cut, carved, and assembled by hand.

Watching him work reminded us that Tholpavakoothu isn't preserved through conversation alone—it survives because artists continue to make, repair, and perform.

The carvings being made

Rajeev belongs to the 14th generation of the Pulavar family, a lineage that has carried Tholpavakoothu across generations.

Long before Rajeev stepped behind the illuminated screen, his grandfather, Krishnankutty Pulavar, dedicated himself to rebuilding the tradition during a period when the art form had fallen into decline. His work laid the foundation for its revival and ensured that the practice continued into another generation.

That commitment was carried forward by Rajeev's father, Padma Shri K.K. Ramachandra Pulavar, whose work brought Tholpavakoothu beyond temple precincts and introduced it to audiences across India and abroad. His contributions were recognised with the Padma Shri, one of India's highest civilian honours.

For Rajeev, inheritance was never just about learning an art form. It meant growing up around people who believed traditions survive only when they continue to evolve.

Insight

The Kerala Chalachitra Academy logo — the puppet silhouette seen before important Malayalam films — was directly inspired by the puppets of the Pulavur family. Director G. Aravindan visited the koothumadam and found Lankalakshmi there. He took the form. The academy kept it. Every time that logo appears on screen, the lineage is watching.

The logo you see before every significant Kerala film was born in this room.

The TURN

against the odds

Some of the most significant changes happened away from the stage.

For generations, women were not allowed to perform in Tholpavakoothu. That changed when Rajeev's father challenged a long-standing convention by inviting women to participate—not only in making the puppets, but also in performing them.

The decision was met with resistance.

There was public criticism. There were legal disputes. The family faced sustained opposition.

Yet they continued.

Today, women are an integral part of the tradition, participating across every stage of the practice from crafting the leather puppets to bringing stories to life behind the screen.

For Rajeev, preserving a tradition has never meant keeping it unchanged. Sometimes, it has meant having the courage to change it.

Sapgrain Field Note

“A Century in Leather”

Displayed beside the performance space was a 100-year-old leather puppet.

Time had darkened its colours and softened its edges, but the craftsmanship remained unmistakable. Holding it felt less like looking at an object and more like looking at a chapter of the tradition itself.

One of the oldest leather puppets in his collection

Beyond the epics

For many, Tholpavakoothu is closely associated with the Kamba Ramayana. But in Rajeev's family, the tradition has never been confined to a single story.

Over the years, they have expanded its repertoire, bringing new narratives to the stage while preserving the language of the art itself.

Among them are Yesucharitham, the story of Jesus, and Gandhikoothu, inspired by the life of Mahatma Gandhi.

The screen remains the same.

The light remains the same.

The stories continue to evolve.

Sapgrain Field Note

Rajeev's studio felt less like a workshop and more like a living archive of puppetry.

Resting on its shelves were puppets from different traditions among them Chinese shadow puppets, alongside examples from other parts of India and the world. Each carried its own visual language, reminding us that while every culture tells stories differently, many have turned to light and shadow to tell them.

When we asked Rajeev how he approaches his performances today, his answer stayed with us.

"My style focuses on the intricate craftsmanship of leather puppets, expressive narration, and the powerful interplay of light and shadow. Through my performances, I aim to create an immersive experience that connects heritage with present-day sensibilities."

That perhaps captures the spirit of his work best.

Not preserving tradition behind glass but allowing it to speak to the present.

Sapgrain Field Notes

Watching Rajeev demonstrate the craft, it became apparent that he wasn't simply showing us how a puppet is made. He was sharing a way of thinking that has been passed through generations—patiently, by doing.

That made one of his responses stay with us:

"I am actively involved in teaching and mentoring, ensuring that this unique art form is passed on to future generations while encouraging innovation within its traditional framework."

In his own words

What does art mean to you?

What inspires you outside of art?

What gives you hope for the future of Tholpavakoothu?

If someone watches your performance for the first time, what do you hope they take away?

Journey & Recognition

Awards and Achievements

A timeline of key moments in the artist's journey of practice.

Loading timeline...

Sapgrain Takeaways

What stayed with us

• Traditions survive through people who continue to practice them.

• Every puppet carries both craft and memory.

• Teaching is as important as performing.

• The future of heritage depends on the curiosity of the next generation

Continue Exploring

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The pages end here, but the stories don't.

If this stayed with you...

Rajeev continues to perform, mentor, and conduct workshops, welcoming anyone curious to experience Tholpavakoothu beyond the screen.

Explore upcoming performances, workshops, or simply start a conversation.

Some traditions are best understood in person.

Sapgrain

Field Record

Visited & Documented

Catalogue No.

SG-2026-001

Artist

Rajeev Pulavar

Tholpavakoothu Artist & Storyteller

Location

Koonathara, Shoranur, Palakkad, Kerala — 679 101

Date of Visit

April 2026

Visited By

Sapgrain Field Documentation

Purpose of Visit

Performance documentation, studio visit, puppet-making process, and interview.

Documented Elements

Performance documentation
Puppet-making process (full sequence)
Lineage interviews — three generations
Koothumadam interior and structure
Material samples: goatskin, natural dyes
Tool inventory

Notes

Sapgrain came to Koonathara to record, not to rescue — to make this tradition exist somewhere beyond the hands that hold it.

Artist Signature

Rajeev Pulavar

Field Documented By

Nandu Chandran

Sapgrain

Archiving Culture. Honoring Traditions.This record is part of the Sapgrain archiveSG-2026-001

Contents

sapgrain

Rajeev Pulavar

Where it began

For Rajeev, inheritance was never just about learning an art form. It meant growing up around people who believed traditions survive only when they continue to evolve.

Awards and Achievements

Continue Exploring

Field Record

Rajeev Pulavar

Where it began

For Rajeev, inheritance was never just about learning an art form. It meant growing up around people who believed traditions survive only when they continue to evolve.

Continue Exploring

Awards and Achievements

Field Record