Malayalam documentary ‘Melaprayanam’ focusses on chenda maestro Kalamandalam Unnikrishnan’s story

vinu vasudevan tells the story of chenda maestro kalamandalam unnikrishnan in his documentary melaprayanam the saga of a drummer

As an enraged Bhima tears into Dushasanan, the beats of the chenda reach a crescendo, resonating with the characters’ anger, passion and rage on stage. After that act of violence, Bhima is struck with remorse and, later, falls at the feet of Lord Krishna, seeking forgiveness. By then the beats of the chenda are a murmur, the gentle beats in tune with the mood of the actors.

For long, the chenda has played a major role in shaping the soundscape of the Kathakali stage, providing the rhythmic background to the steps, mudras (hand gestures) and movements of the actors. As an aficionado of the art form and its storytelling, Vinu Vasudevan has been keenly following the evolution of Kathakali — its stages and performances.

As a discerning listener and viewer, he was struck by the innovations ushered in by percussionist Kalamandalam Unnikrishanan, former principal of the Kerala Kalamandalam Deemed University.

During the lockdown, following the outbreak of the pandemic, Unnikrishnan began teaching chenda online. “I was a regular follower of his classes. I felt that his contributions should not be confined to YouTube alone and deserved a larger canvas,” says Vinu, an art critic and documentary filmmaker.

Vinu reached out to the creative minds behind People Story Collective (Sajith Moothakurambu, Rakesh Pazhedam, and EM Rajeev) and sought their opinion on a documentary on Kalamandalam Unnikrishnan. As chroniclers keen on documenting Kerala’s traditional art forms, they were all on the same page.

However, when Vinu mooted the idea to Unnikrishnan, he did not think he would be an interesting subject for a documentary. They persuaded him by telling him that they wanted to preserve his legacy.

Filming began in March 2022, at his home in Perinthalmanna, in Malappuram district, Kerala. “We shot there for two days while he went down memory lane. The financial difficulties during his childhood, his early days as a student in Kalamandalam, his stint in Gandhi Sadanam and so on... We let him share his memories without it being a question-and-answer session,” says Vinu.