INTACH Mangaluru explores female impersonation tradition in Yakshagana with artiste Shruti Bangera

INTACH Mangaluru explores female impersonation tradition in Yakshagana with artiste Shruti Bangera

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, November 22, 2025: The third day of the World Heritage Week celebrations organised by the Mangaluru Chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), in association with Art Kanara Trust, featured a compelling talk on the tradition of female impersonation in Yakshagana. Titled “Streevesha in Yakshagana: Female Impersonation Tradition in Indian Performing Arts,” the session was delivered by artiste and PhD scholar Shruti Bangera on Thursday, November 21, at 5:30 p.m. at the Kodial Guthu Centre for Art and Culture.

In her presentation, Shruti Bangera traced the historical roots of men performing female roles in Indian performing arts. “Indian history reflects a longstanding tradition of male artists enacting female characters, arising from social, religious and cultural restrictions on women performing publicly,” she explained. “Theatrical forms such as Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Yakshagana and Jatra historically restricted women’s stage presence, necessitating men to assume female roles and represent womanhood on stage.”

Ms. Bangera highlighted the social and psychological challenges faced by streevesha performers, often subjected to stereotyping and labelling by both audiences and fellow artistes. Drawing from historical sources, literature, and her own experiences, she elaborated on the physical and mental transformations artists undergo to authentically portray female characters in Yakshagana.

The session concluded with an interactive discussion covering women’s entry into Yakshagana, comparisons between the Thenkuthittu and Badaguthittu forms, the importance of developing an indigenous perspective to assess the art form, and parallels between Yakshagana and other traditional storytelling arts such as Kathakali. INTACH Life Member Deekshith R. Pai introduced the speaker and anchored the programme. Ms. Bangera was felicitated at the end of the session.