Famed acting teacher N. Muthuswamy the founder of Koothupattarai passed away in Chennai at the age of 82 due to natural causes.  Born in Punjai village near Tanjore Muthuswamy set up his organization in Chennai in 1977 and not only conducted stage and street plays but also taught different styles of acting.  He has won the Padmashree and the Sangeet Natak Academy Award by the Indian government. 

Muthuswamy's 'Koothupattarai' is recognized by the Indian government's cultural ministry, UNESCO, Fort trust, Alliance France and other national and international organizations.  Many top Tamil actors including Vijay Sethupathi, Karthi, Dinesh, Pasupathy, Guru Somasundaram, Kalai Rani, Vidharth have been trained by the teacher and his methods.

மிகுந்த மனவருத்ததுடன் பகிர்கிறேன்... கூத்துப்பட்டறை யின் தந்தை..எங்கள் ஆசான் #முத்துசாமி அய்யா அவர்கள் இன்று காலமானார். pic.twitter.com/BPKns2KQkq

— VijaySethupathi (@VijaySethuOffl) October 24, 2018