The elegance of the classical dances of Kerala are a result of the various cultural influences that took place in the state. These classical forms are a delicate fusion of ancient classical texts and folk traditions, making them distinctive and unique. The Koothu is a solo narrative act. As the performers of the Koothu are from Chakyars- a Brahmin community, it bears the name Chakyarkoothu.

Chakyarkoothu is a blend of social satire, mime and comedy. The Koothu basically depends on the main Hindu epics Ramayanam and Mahabaratham, which the Chakyars first chants the verses of  in Sanskrit and then narrates the story in Malayalam. The Chakyar is a comedian par excellence, occasionally even mimicking the characters in a tongue-in-cheek manner and drawing social parallels between Puranic (Ramayanam and Mahabaratham) tales and modern life.