Twenty years ago, in 2005, in Powai, Mumbai, I witnessed Koodiyattam for the first time. A shortstatured woman sat on a wooden stool, her face illuminated by the flame of a brass lamp, the sounds of the mizhavu echoing in the room. She transformed before our eyes — as a tiger emerging from the dense forest. The room fell silent in absolute awe. The artist was Kapila Venu, the contemporary face of Koodiyattam, an ancient theatre tradition – the daughter of G. Venu, Koodiyattam exponent, and Nirmala Paniker, senior Mohini Attam artist.