Thumping their feet in tandem, they depict a story!

Visakhapatnam: Thumping their anklet-adorned feet on the ground, jumping in unison in the air, swirling around in a swift succession and playing ‘tappeta’ slinging to their chest all along, a team of artistes narrate a tale through an impressive folk dance.

Known as ‘Tappeta Gullu,’ this dance form takes centre stage during special occasions in Andhra Pradesh, more so around Sankranti festivities or ‘Pedda Panduga,’ in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and parts of Visakhapatnam districts of North Andhra.

Depending on the occasion, the themes the dancers focus on vary from Ramayana to Mahabharata, Gangamma tales to Sri Krishna’s birth and Lord Vishnu’s greatness. “Basically, the depiction revolves around mythological chapters. During Gangamma Jatara, the narrative will be on Goddess Gangamma and her triumph over evil.

The presentations are ritualistic and require swift movements,” explains Duvvu Shiva, who belongs to the third generation of artistes. After picking up the nuances of ‘Tappeta Gullu’ from his grandfather, he was not quite keen on carrying the family legacy forward back then.

However, destiny had something else in store for Shiva, who discontinued B.Sc. (Maths). “When our financial situation turned worse, I had no other choice than to carry the ‘dappu’ and join the troupe,” he recalls.

Dressed in vibrant attire that includes a brightly-hued loincloth and heavy accessories, artistes perform ‘Tappeta Gullu,’ an amalgamation of graceful movements, intricate footwork along with elaborate feats.

Considered beyond a mere source of entertainment, ‘Tappeta Gullu’ portrays the region’s tradition and culture. “Tappeta is the traditional drum, while Gullu means an ‘alarm’. Back then, the dance used to help keep wild animals at bay when the cowherds took their cattle for grazing. Over the years, the folk dance has become part of the festivities, special events and jataras,” explains Allaboni Ramu, who heads Sri Krishna Tappeta Gullu troupe.

Belonging to Mudara Gollalapalem village of Padmanabham mandal, the troupe was founded 15 years back. “The dancers are only men. About 30 to 35 artistes form a part of the troupe. As time went by, the younger generation gradually lost interest in preserving the dance form for various reasons,” laments Chinna Rao, another artiste.

Apart from extending support to the artistes, the Tappeta Gullu dancers mention that the government should step forward to creating more opportunities for them in temples, carnivals and major events across the state so that it would provide respite to their survival.

In Ram Charan-starrer ‘Rangasthalam’ movie, a scene of ‘Tappeta Gullu’ essayed a crucial part. When folk dancers chanted ‘Srimannarayana’, it helped Chittibabu (Ram Charan) to trace the person who killed his brother Kumar Babu (Aadhi Pinisetty). Eventually, the pulsating rhythm of the folk dance in the film drew a bigger attention.