Ottanthullal, or Ottamthullal, is a performance art from Kerala, India. This art was founded by Kunjan Nambiar one of the Prachina Kavithrayam in Malayalam. The art form was created during the 18th century by legendary Malayalam poet Kalakkaththu Kunchan Nambiar. The story goes that Nambiar, who was playing the mizhavu for a Chakyar Koothu show, dozed off in the middle of the performance, thus inviting ridicule from the Chakyar. The humiliated Nambiar vowed to come up with an alternative art form to Chakyar Koothu, and conjured up an Ottamthullal show that also made fun of prevalent socio political equations and prejudices of the region.
