: Mangalore Woman Defies Age Stereotypes to Become a Yakshagana Performer at 66 #IndiaNEWS #Dance Seventy-seven-year-old Savithri Rao is a Yakshagana performer, who started learning the art form when

Mangalore Woman Defies Age Stereotypes to Become a Yakshagana Performer at 66 #IndiaNEWS #Dance
Seventy-seven-year-old Savithri Rao is a Yakshagana performer, who started learning the art form when she was 66 years of age. “It was a passion I had nurtured for very long, but with many other things happening in life, I never had the opportunity to pursue it,??? she tells The Better India.
Yakshagana is a traditional theatre form from Karnataka, which can be described as a temple art form that depicts mythological stories and Puranas. It is often performed with massive headgears, elaborate facial make-up and vibrant costumes and ornaments.
Growing up, the one thing Savithri enjoyed indulging in most was role play, which translated into her love for this dance form. “I would often pick up sticks and pretend to be at war, and jump around from one corner to the other.
I’d smear my face with charcoal and almost magically become someone else,??? she recalls with childlike enthusiasm.
Getting ready for a show.
While she wanted to be a Yakshagana performer from a young age, unfortunately, at the time Savithri was growing up, being part of a performance troupe was not considered appropriate for girls.
Her ‘loudest cheerleader’
Savithri with her husband.
So she went on to become a teacher, and excelled at that. In 1987, she received an award from the Indian Council for Child Education under the ‘Best Teacher’ category. She retired in 1990, and continued to ably support her husband in managing and running Makkala Sahithya Sangama, an organisation dedicated to encouraging children to cultivate their literary talents in Kannada.
Speaking about her husband, Srinivas Rao, also one of her loudest cheerleaders, she Savithri says, “Most women feel that once married, pursuing dreams should be forgotten. For me, the opposite happened. My husband is a huge fan of Yakshagana himself and encouraged me to take it up. ??? She recalls often visiting the town hall in Mangalore with her husband to watch performances.
“Those visits just helped me make my decision,??? she adds.
Savithri ready for the show.
It was only in 2009 that Savithri approached Sumangala Rathnakar, Director, Yaksharadhana Kala Kendra, Mangalore, who also happened to be Savithri’s neighbour. “I remember feeling very shy to go ask her to teach me. Again, my husband was the one to encourage me. I am glad I took that decision, because it has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life,??? she says. Yakshagana has always been a male bastion and it is only off late that women have started to partake in its performance. Savthiri tells me that there are about 60 women performers now, and she is perhaps one of the oldest.

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