Documentary takes a journey through Kathakali artiste’s craft

Krishnayanam by filmmaker Binuraj Kalapeetom to be screened in city today

Born in Palakkad’s Cherpulassery, Sadanam Krishnankutty joined Peroor Gandhi Seva Sadanam, where he learnt Kathakali.

For over three-and-a-half years, documentary filmmaker Binuraj Kalapeetom followed Kathakali artiste Sadanam Krishnankutty to all his performances. Most of the time, he shot the artiste without his knowledge. “I did not want him to perform for the camera or be aware of it,” says Binuraj.

His documentary film, Krishnayanam, on the veteran artiste will be screened on Wednesday at the TDM Hall at 5.30 pm.

Krishnankutty is known for the effortless ease with which he transforms into characters, having played

pacha (noble),

kathi (characters with negative shades)

kari (evil)

, thaadi (demonic characters) and

minukku (brahmins, saints and women)

veshams (roles) with equal panache. “His beloved role is that of Krishna, which he excels in, but he has no trouble becoming Keechakan,” says Binuraj. The 40-minute documentary is a journey through seven different roles he has portrayed. It is a tribute to the artiste and his contribution to the art form, says Binuraj.

Born in Palakkad’s Cherpulassery, Krishnankutty joined Peroor Gandhi Seva Sadanam, where he learnt Kathakali under Thekkinkattil Ravunni Nair, Kottakkal Krishnankutty Nair and Sankaranarayanan Embranthiri. He taught for a brief while at the Unnayi Warrier Smaraka Kalanilayam at Irinjalakkuda in Thrissur, but slowly entered the performing world as a full-time artiste. Krishnankutty has spent more than half his life on stage — he started performing at the age of 21 and continues to do so even at the age of 80. His most recent performance was in Delhi, on November 1. He won the State Kathakali Award in 2016.

Having no technical knowledge of Kathakali may have helped in the making of the documentary, feels Binuraj.

“I have filmed it from the perspective of a curious onlooker, fascinated by the colours and the characters enacted by this artiste.” Except a few anecdotes and memories that Krishnankutty shares, the film focuses more on the artiste’s craft.

This is Binuraj’s ninth documentary — he has done biographical documentaries on Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer, writer and critic M.K. Sanoo, artist Namboothiri and is currently working on a documentary on filmmaker Shaji N. Karun.

Krishnayanam has been produced by Soumia Binuraj under the banner of Pournami Art Gallery. It has been edited by Nikhil Venu and the music is by Rinil Gowtham. Camera has been handled by Rajan Pothi and Sreeraj Rajan.

The event is being organised by Ernakulam Karayogam Kathakali Club and Mudra Association for Art and Culture.