KOCHI: Vainikam, Venu Nair’s 19-minute documentary, opens at Krishnapuram Palace, zooming into Gajendra Moksham, one of the largest mural panels in Kerala.
Legend has it that Indradyumna, a true devotee of Lord Vishnu, was cursed by Agastya to be reborn as Gajendra, an elephant. Gajendra gets caught in the painful grip of a crocodile while stepping into a lake where he remained for years. At last his prayers were answered as Sudarshana chakra decaptivated the crocodile saving him from the long torment.
The entire drama is vividly portrayed in the work as it shows Lord Vishnu descending on a fierce Garuda to save his devotee. “The documentary tries to record mural art works in Kerala- their origin, evolution and present day scenario,” says the director of Vainikam, which will be screened at the first Rishikesh Art and Film Festival to be held from March 3.
It depicts the earlier murals in Kerala, the major works and the complex technology involved in the making process. “There was a period when the art form was left neglected due to various factors, its huge expense being one. Later it was revived and restored to its glory.
Mammiyur Krishnakutty Nair is one of the last traditional practitioners of this art form. His disciple Suresh Muthukulam is part of the documentary,” says Venu Nair.
Vainikam also documents the long and laborious technique of this special art form. “The process starts with seasoning the wall with special blends. The colours used are all organic, basically from leaves, stones and flowers. The black colour you see in murals are taken from lamps,” he says.
They usually last for centuries as most of the known murals now we have are hundreds of years old. “Murals are also found in some of the churches dating back to 16th or 17th century. But instead of puranas they depict biblical stories,” he adds.
There are various styles in mural, but in Kerala the most popular is vainikam, he explains the title. “It means a harmony of bhava and geeta. There are a couple of other styles as well, but in Kerala we follow vainika format,” he says.