Chavittunatakam is a Christian folk drama of South Indian state Kerala. This dramatic form was initiated during the time of the Portuguese in Kerala in the 16th century A.D. The meaning of `Chavittu` is the rhythmic steps which accompany the recitation of lines in the performance.

The folk drama Chavittunatakam was practiced by the Latin Christians in the beginning.

This western concept of drama was inspired from the western opera and miracle plays, which was very influential at that time. Even the themes of them were based on western concepts. But the texts used were written in old Tamil language. Chavittunatakam used the western acting techniques, stage structure and treatment of the plot were all also Western.

The performance of Chavittunatakam involves energetic fighting scenes, which shows the influence of kalaripayittu. The artists were needed to sing their dialogues. It uses mainly the adventurous themes such as Charlemangne, St. George, etc. Hence, there were lots of opportunities to make use of the local kalaripayittu both for the fighting scenes and total kinetic design. Most of the performers used to be very aggressive in their real life as they were sometimes used for fighting intruders on private land. This art form was hugely influenced by the local Kalaripayittu.

In the performance of Chavittunatakam, the actors often stamp the foot to represent the heroic mood. It is done in a very dramatic and effective way. As it is an opera, gestures are never used communicate ideas. The steps, stamping and the locomotion of the body continued along with the vocal singing. The instrument `chanda` is used to create a very energetic dramatic effect. The female roles were also done by the male members.

The stage of Chavittunatakam had a very low platform and it was made of the strongest wood. It measures about twenty yards in length, eight yards in breadth and half a yard high. There was a peculiar and popular belief regarding the performance. It is said that after the performance if the stage was not wrecked fully by the tremendous pounding of the actors` feet then it was a complete failure.

It is believed that the chief guru known as Annavi or Asan gave the training in the art of Chavittunatakam. The artists were first trained in the basic martial and then he introduced them to the text. The palm leaves or paper were used to preserve the texts. They were known as `Chuvati`.

Now, coming with new medium of entertainment, the popularity of Chavittunatakam has decreased a lot in Kerala. Moreover, there are hardly any people to encourage this art form. The troupes and the number of artists are also decreasing sharply. It was the influence of Portuguese that helped the Western culture to propagate here in Kerala along with the southwest coast. The western influence in the Chavittunatakam art form is evident in the stage settings, introduction of curtains, costumes, masks etc. Some of the important plays of earlier period were that of Genow, Caralman Charitam, Napoleon Charitram, etc.