THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It is a tribute to her illustrious ancestor. The classic novel ‘Indulekha’ is all set to be staged as a musical with none other than the novelist’s own great-granddaughter essaying the role of the protagonist, Indulekha. Dr Chaithanya Unni, who is the fifth generation descendant of O Chandu Menon, is all set to pay a grand tribute to Menon with a dance dedication modelled on the 1889 novel ‘Indulekha’.
The musical, directed by Soorya Krishnamoorthy, will have actor and dancer Vineeth Kumar sharing the stage with Chaithanya. It is all set to be staged on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday during the grand finale of the Soorya Festival. Around four women characters are depicted in the musical, including Indu, Lekha, Indulekha and an unnamed woman, who is a representative of the present society. However, the musical is not an adaptation of the novel, rather a quest to understand what might have prompted Chandu Menon to write ‘Indulekha’.
Soorya Krishnamoorthy said the musical is not an adaptation of the legendary book. “It is a journey through the mind of Chandu Menon. Fiction and information acquired from the family have also been weaved into the narrative,” he said.
Speaking to reporters, Chaithanya said she wishes to expand the ambit of the work and take it to the international audience. The O Chandu Menon Foundation has been launched towards this end, she said. Recalling her experience of reading the novel, Chaithanya said every time she read the book, it threw open myriad perspectives. “When I first read it at a younger age, it was the love story that struck me. But on re-reading, other layers came to my notice,” she said.
Women empowerment and education are strong themes that echo in the book, she added. Terming it a novel highly relevant even in the present society, she said the book and the themes were way ahead of their time. A beauty pageant titled ‘Njan Indulekha’ is also under way in colleges. She is quick to add the pageant is not one based on beauty, rather one focusing on personality traits.
The choreography of the musical is by Madhu and Sajeev of Samudra Performing Arts while the music is by Pandit Ramesh Narayanan. The musical has been penned by lyricist Rajeev Alunkal. The hour-long programme will be a treat to the eyes with live elements such as rain and thunder.
An established mohiniyattam dancer, Chaithanya is presently working as a general practitioner in Australia. Kerala Tourism is also part of the project produced by Chaithanya.