ABSTRACT
The Tamil vēṣam (வேஷம்) is derived from the Sanskrit veṣa (वेष), denoting “dress, apparel, ornament, artificial exterior, assumed appearance” (Monier-Williams, Leumann and Cappeller 1960 [1899], 1019). The Tamil Lexicon provides similar synonyms for vēṣam as the Sanskrit dictionary: “dress, disguise, pretense” (1924 –1936, 3848). Here I will look at the use of the term vēṣam within the specific context of kaṭṭaikkūttu (Tamil கட்டைக்கூத்து) performances in which, as I will argue, the term encompasses more than the outer appearance to define the process of becoming a character.
