His nimble fingers, using a black charcoal pencil, swiftly made some strokes on the canvas. The camera crew scampered to capture those movements, lest they might end all too quickly. Because, for veteran artist Namboodiri, who has been in the art scene for decades, sketching a series on the changing face of Kerala is child's play.
The series of illustrations is a part of the theme song for ‘Sutharya Keralam,' a project of the State government, through which public can directly submit their grievances to the Chief Minister. Music director Bijibal (of Salt n' Pepper fame) has composed the four-minute song penned by writer Aryambika and titled ‘Sutharya Keralam'. The shooting for the song was on at Chitranjali Studio here on Friday.
Simple yet evocative, his freehand drawings bring out the sharp contrast between the past and the present in a range of fields — from farming to infrastructure to education. Ambling bullock carts are juxtaposed with buses and cars; skyscrapers are seen edging out traditional houses and the ‘vaidyan' is placed next to a modern-day doctor flaunting a stethoscope.
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The artist himself is not averse to the changes the State, its people and culture have undergone. “One cannot stop age-old traditions from changing. One must embrace what brings progress to humanity,” he says.
‘Sutharya Keralam' is an interactive video programme where the public can register their grievances. The complaints thus registered will be prioritised and addressed by the Chief Minister through a programme, titled ‘Sutharya Keralam,' broadcast in Doordarshan Keralam on Sundays between 7.15 p.m. and 8 p.m. The complaints can be made to the grievance redress cell either through email or through Citizen Call Centre (155300), which is functional from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.