It was almost ten years ago that you made Kaliyattam based on the story of Othello. What exactly was the reason behind such an adaptation? Have you been influenced by Shakespearean plays even as a student?
My introduction to Shakespeare was by the noted kathaprasangam artiste Sambasivan. (Kathaprasangam is an art of story telling in which an artiste narrates a story in a very dramatic manner, accompanied by music. The purpose is to create awareness about social evils. Stories are generally taken from current events or famous novels.)
I happened to listen to him at a temple festival ground when I was seven or eight years old. How he described the killing of Desdemona through his expressions haunted me for many years.
The speciality of Shakespearean plays is that the stories are always relevant. All the emotions detailed in those plays are what we feel even today.
Even before Kaliyattam happened, I had this strong desire to make a film with theyyam as the backdrop.
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