Margi Sathi (official name P. S. Sathi Devi) (1965 - 2015) was an exponent of Nangiǎr Kūthu which is a form of performing art derived from

Koodiyattam Koodiyattam ( ml, കൂടിയാട്ടം; IAST: kūṭiyāṭṭaṁ; ) is a traditional performing art form in the state of Kerala, India. It is a combination of ancient Sanskrit theatre with elements of ''Koothu'', an ancient perfor ...

and which is traditionally performed by the female members of the Chakkyar community of

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

. She was also an accomplished expert in enacting the female characters in Koodiyattam. She has performed extensively within India and abroad. A notable performance was at the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

headquarters in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

in October 2001 as part of a programme to mark UNESCO's proclamation of Kutiyattam as a "masterpiece of oral and intangible heritage of humanity". Sathi had written the ''attaprakaram'' (performance manuals) for several Nangiǎr Kūthu performance. The ''attaprakaram'' for Sreeramacharitham (the story of Rama from Sita's point of view) has been published as a book in 1999. She has also appeared in a few Malayalam movies.

Life

Margi Sathi was born in 1965 at

Cheruthuruthy Cheruthuruthy also known as Vallathol Nagar is a small town in India near Wadakkanchery, Thrissur on the banks of the Nila (Bharathapuzha) river. Administration Falls in Talappilly taluk (Wadakkanchery) of the revenue district of Thrissur. Thr ...

Thrissur Thrissur (), formerly Trichur, also known by its historical name Thrissivaperur, is a city and the headquarters of the Thrissur district in Kerala, India. It is the third largest urban agglomeration in Kerala after Kochi and Kozhikode, and t ...

as the daughter of Puthillathu Subramanyan Embranthiri and Parvathy Andarjanam. She started learning Koodiyattom at

Kerala Kalamandalam Kerala Kalamandalam, deemed to be University of Art and Culture by the Government of India, is a major center for learning Indian performing arts, especially those that developed in the Southern states of India, with the special emphasis on K ...

and under Painkulam Rama Chakyar. After her marriage with late ''

idakka The ''idakka'' (), also spelt edaykka/edakka, is an hourglass-shaped drum from Kerala in south India. This handy percussion instrument is very similar to the pan-Indian damaru. While the damaru is played by rattling knotted cords against the res ...

'' maestro N Subramanian Potti, she moved to

Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...

and joined the Margi dance institute in 1988. It was her association with the dance institute that gave the epithet Margi in her name. Margi is an organization dedicated to the revival of

Kathakali Kathakali ( ml, കഥകളി) is a major form of classical Indian dance. It is a "story play" genre of art, but one distinguished by the elaborately colourful make-up and costumes of the traditional male actor-dancers. It is native to the M ...

and

, two classical art forms of Kerala. Her husband died of electrocution while she was shooting for the Koodiyattam-based movie Nottam, on 30 June 2005. After her husband's death Sathi moved to Kalamandalam as a teacher in Koodiyattam based on a first-of-its kind order by Kerala State Government. She died at the Regional Cancer Center in Thiruvananthapuram on 1 December 2015. She was going on her battle with

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

for a long time, and was admitted to RCC a week before her death, after her condition worsened. She leaves behind two children, Revathi, a teacher and a Koodiyattom artist, and Devanarayanan, an edakka artist and former student at Pattambi Sanskrit College.

List of movies in which Sathi acted

* Swapaanam (2014
Swapaanam
(as Achyuthan's Wife)
Ivan Megharoopan
(2012) (as poet's mother)
Making of a Maestro
(2010) (as Thamburati)
Raamaanam
(2010) (as Aatta Beevi)
Drishtaantham
(2007)
Nottam
(2005)

Books authored by Sathi

*"Sitayanam" (Stage presentation Manual) (2008) *"Kannakicharitham" (Stage presentation Manual)(2002) *"SreeRamacharitham Nangiarkoothu" (Stage presentation Manual) - Published by D.C.Books, Kottayam, Kerala (1999) in Malayalam with an appendix on 'Nangiar Koothu' in English by Ayyappa Panikker.

Recognitions

Margi Sathi's contributions to the world of performing arts have been widely recognised and she had earned several awards in appreciation of her work. *Junior Fellowship of the

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for research project in Nangiarkoothu (1997) *Kerala Sangeet Nataka Academy Award for Koodiyattam (2002) *Kaladarpanam Award (2008) *Natyarathna Puraskaram by Thunchan Smaraka Samithi, Thiruvananthapuram (2008) *Nomination for the award of Padmasree

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sathi, Margi Hindu dance traditions Indian female classical dancers Performers of Indian classical dance Dancers from Kerala People from Thrissur district 1965 births 2015 deaths Deaths from cancer in India Women artists from Kerala 20th-century Indian dancers 21st-century Indian dancers 20th-century Indian women artists 21st-century Indian women artists Actresses in Malayalam cinema

Life

List of movies in which Sathi acted

Books authored by Sathi

Recognitions

Further reading

References