18-Year-Old Breaks Barriers Playing 60kg Thavil Drum

When Amirthavarshini Manishankar was eight years old, she asked her parents why no women played the thavil, a massive percussion instrument weighing nearly 60 kilograms. They told her it was too heavy and difficult for women to play.

That answer made her determined to prove them wrong.

Ten years later, the 18-year-old from Mannargudi near Thanjavur just performed a solo at A.R. Rahman's Wonderment Tour concert in Chennai. She's now one of the few female thavil players in India, breaking into a centuries-old tradition dominated by men.

"I was both excited and emotional when Rahman sir asked me to play," Amirthavarshini says. The opportunity came after the legendary composer started following her on Instagram last October.

Coming from six generations of musicians, Amirthavarshini grew up watching her father play nagaswaram and her mother play violin at temple festivals. But she chose the thavil, an instrument that requires her to balance 60 kilograms on her lap while performing.

The physical demands are intense. Her fingers have bled during practice, sometimes taking 10 days to heal. She wraps tape around her fingers and applies glue before performances, and the extended sessions cause pain in her shoulders and legs.

Her late brother Manoj Kumar was the first to support her unconventional choice when others were skeptical. "I always pray to him before every concert," she says.

Amirthavarshini made her public debut at 11 and has since accompanied leading artists including violinist A. Kanyakumari, flutist Sikkil Mala Chandrasekar, and singer Daler Mehndi. She placed third in the national Kala Utsav competition in 2020.

Why This Inspires

Amirthavarshini isn't just breaking barriers for herself. She's actively working to bring more women into percussion through workshops for young girls interested in the thavil.

Last July, she launched Yuva Thaal Tharang, an ensemble featuring both all-women and mixed groups that has already performed over 50 concerts across India. The goal is to showcase the thavil as a lead rhythm instrument, making it more visible and accessible.

She's also pursuing dual degrees in law and music while compiling a reference book on korvais specifically for thavil learners. This weekend, she'll perform at The Mahindra Percussion Festival in Bengaluru with "Women Who Drum," an all-women percussion ensemble.

Her advice to aspiring women percussionists reflects the determination that got her here: "Discipline, dedication, consistency and passion are essential. But above all, you must be strong-willed."

She views the thavil not just as an instrument but as a sacred responsibility to carry forward tradition while making space for those who were told it wasn't for them.