C. Kunnaiyya was one of the greatest stalwarts of Tamil theater in the early decades of the 20th century. His productions were known for their grandeur, and he was considered a precursor to stalwarts in the mythological genre such as Nawab Rajamanickam Pillai and RS Manohar. A brief profile of this legend compiled by TC Vadivelu Naicker, a renowned theater artist and one of the pioneers of early Tamil cinema, was published in the drama book of Kunnaiyya’s last magnum opus theatrical work, Bhagavad Gita.

Kunnaiah was born in 1877 (although interestingly, the Tamil Nadu government celebrated his birth centenary in 1973). His interest in studies was limited, as his formal education lasted only till the fourth grade. Aware of the need to learn a craft with which he could earn a livelihood, his parents enrolled him at the Parur Tyagaraja Sastri Press on Govindappa Naiken Street in George Town, Chennai, where he learned to compose and became a Telugu musician. He later joined the government press and worked in the same capacity. It was during this time that he started getting the acting bug, when he started watching plays performed by the famous theater practitioner of that time, Subbaraya Achari. Deciding to become an actor, he quit his job and joined a troupe of artists led by Gopal Rayar on a year-long tour of Singapore. On his return, he joined a drama company run by Narayanaswamy Pillai as an actor at a monthly salary of Rs. 2. His association with the company lasted for about seven years, during which he played several small roles and soon started making a name for himself.

In search of wider opportunities, Kunnaiah left Narayanaswamy Pillai’s company and moved to Rangoon, where he joined a drama company as a lead actor. His brief tenure brought him recognition. On his return to Madras, he started the Sri Krishna Vinod Sabha, which became one of the major performing theater companies in the early 1900s. One of its earliest productions was ShakuntalaKunnaiya played the role of Dushyant. Inspired by its success, Kunnaiah launched a series of mega productions during the next few years, such as complete ramayanam (where she played six roles including Kaikeyi and Surpanakha), Kandirajan, Chandrawali, Satya Harishchandra, Lankadhanam And Vasantika Made the Royal Theater in Salt Coates his base.

Nawab Rajamanickam Pillai, one of the pioneers of Tamil theatre. | Photo Courtesy: The Hindu Archives

Kunnaiah appointed the famous comedian of that time, CS Samanna Iyer, as the manager of the troupe and toured many places in South India, earning praise from prominent persons such as the royal family of Thanjavur. Kunnaiah was greatly influenced by the production values ​​of Parsi theatre, evidenced by the fact that he appointed Ameer Ali of the New Albert Parsi Theater Company as the music director of Krishna Vinod Sabha. He also employed Hussain Bakhsh, an artist from Lahore, on a heavy salary. He was put in charge of the troupe’s scenery and settings. Notable actors of Krishna Vinod Sabha include comedian K. People like Sarangapani, CVV Pantulu and Maharajpuram Krishnamurthy were included. However, the biggest name of them all was SG Kittappa, who along with his brothers formed a fruitful association with Kunnaiah.

Kittappa’s musical talent took Krishna Vinod Sabha to new heights. productions like Dasavatharam (It is said to have been prepared at a cost of more than one lakh rupees) and Krishna Leela His success is attributed to Kittappa’s singing, which attracted many classical musicians like Kanchipuram Naina Pillai, Fiddle Govindaswami Pillai, Marungapuri Gopalakrishna Iyer and Konnakkol Pakkiriya Pillai to watch the play. Interestingly, Kunnaiah traveled to Penang in 1926 and helped the famous Ganesanand dramatic troupe of the Federated Malay States to produce and stage stage performances. Dasavatharam.

Veteran theater actor RS Manohar. | Photo Courtesy: The Hindu Archives

Mridangam player Pudukkottai Dakshinamurthy Pillai and drummer Venu Chettiar were part of the sabha’s musical ensemble. Kunnaiah was also an admirer of Harikatha exponent C. Saraswati Bai and once invited her to perform for his troupe and presented her with a gold cup. He was amazed by her ability to bring multiple deities to life through her performances, commenting that the task was accomplished in concert by several people in her troupe.

A staunch Vishnu-devotee, Kunnaiah was particularly devoted to the mystic-poet Andal (he even staged a play called A.Nandal Tirukalyanam-Ramanuj Vaibhavam) And donated a golden vessel to the Srivilliputhur temple. He also donated generously to other Vaishnava pilgrimage centers such as the Parthasarathy Temple at Thirukannapuram, Thirukanmangai, Triplicane and the Ramanuja Temple at Sriperumbudur. Organizations such as Ramakrishna Mission Students Home also benefited from his philanthropy.

Well-known actor SG Kittappa, who along with his brothers formed a fruitful collaboration with Kunnaiah. | Photo Courtesy: The Hindu Archives

In 1930, Kunnaiah began an ambitious project – to dramatize the Bhagavad Gita. The production took over a year to take shape, with Kunnaiah putting his heart and soul into it. However, behind the scenes, the life of relentless activity was slowly beginning to take its toll on Kunnaiah and he felt as if this would be his last offering. He is believed to have told those around him that no matter what happens to them, the show must go on. This proved to be a dire prediction, as he died at his residence on Mint Street on August 31, 1931, a week after the production’s opening. His wife Chinnammal ran the troupe for some time, before it eventually ended.

Unfortunately, Kunnaiyya’s achievements remain a distant footnote in the history of Tamil theatre.