When Karthik Baiju reached Thenkurissi for his research work, he did not expect it to pull him into another world — a world stitched together by myths, stories, and shadows. Those days in that idyllic village in Palakkad set him on a path that has now taken him all the way to New York.
Karthi had been working as a research investigator for an ICSSR (Indian Council of Social Science Research) project under Bharatheeya Vichara Kendram Samskrithi Bhava. The research, he says, was on traditional art forms funded and was funded by the Union government.
“For the past six months, I was posted in Palakkad, wandering through its villages with my camera. That is how I reached Thenkurissi, a place deeply connected to Odiyan legends. We have all heard tales about the Odiyans, but when I spoke to the people there, I realised the real story was far more complex.”
With his camera in hand and curiosity as his guide, Karthik began documenting the lives and beliefs of the villagers. The result was his Malayalam documentary ‘Thenkurissiyile Raathrikal’ (Nights of Thenkurissi), which was screened at the Egyptian American Film Festival (EAFF) in New York. The festival at the Center for the Arts, Staten Island, is held under the theme Cinema for Humanity and received more than 5,100 submissions from across the world this year.
The film explores the mysterious world of the Odiyans — people once believed to possess supernatural powers rooted in black magic and ancient rituals. Set against the backdrop of the village’s hauntingly beautiful nights, it explores how myths, fear, and transformation continue to shape the region’s collective memory.
“Through the voices of villagers and even members of old Odiyan families, I tried to reveal how black magic was not merely superstition, it was also a masked form of resistance against the dominance of upper castes and landlords,” Karthik explains.
“All the characters the villagers talk about in the documentary are real people. From what I understood, the Ezhavas and Nairs traditionally owned land and held power. The Paraya community, who worked for the upper castes, often faced attacks and humiliation. So the idea of the Odiyan emerged as a response to that fear — a way for the marginalised to protect themselves and regain some sense of power. It was not a costume or a performance; it carried a deeper cultural and spiritual meaning.”
The documentary has already made its mark on the international circuit, being officially selected for the Padma Shri Sukumari Global Film Festival, the Goa International Film Competition, and the Yora International Film Festival in South Africa.
For Karthik, who hails from Thiruvananthapuram, this film marks his debut as a documentary filmmaker. After completing his post-graduation in sociology from Loyola College of Social Sciences, Karthik directed two short films, ‘Deadlock’ and ‘Huh’, before stumbling upon the Odiyan theme.
“I never really dreamed of working in cinema. But during my teenage years, I found a few friends who loved films. We would watch movies together, go to film festivals, and spend hours talking about them. Bit by bit, cinema became my world. I did not want to start as an assistant; I wanted to make short films, prove myself, and find my own way into filmmaking. I just hope all this helps me get there someday.”
The Thenkurissiyile Raathrikal team has been working with Karthik for six years. The film is produced by Ravi Kumar and Abeesh C S, with Akhilnath C S as editor, Athul Sreekantan as music composer, and Syam Raj and Viju as scriptwriters. The narration is by Muhammed Riyas, with Arun Bineesh as production designer, Midhunraj as creative head, Lithin M L as colourist, and Rohith Roshan Jolly handling subtitles.
Currently, the documentary is touring the festival circuit, after which the team plans a YouTube release in December. Karthik’s next project, ‘Paraak’, which he has written and directed, is now in post-production. Featuring a cast of complete newcomers, the film is expected to be released in the next few months.
