A legendary idiom of all times

What makes a novel classic? It happens when the book lives through generations and the young people of each generation pick it up, read it and find a meaning in the words written in it. The book must provide different perspectives to its readers every time they go through it. Khasakkinte Ithihasam, a novel written by O.V. Vijayan a few decades ago, is one such.

Although it is primarily conceived as the story of Ravi, those who read it could find different interpretations; that is perhaps one reason why the novel gets different adaptations in areas such as art, theatre, and photography.

According to Deepan Sivaraman, a popular name in theatre circuits, one reason for embarking on the theatre production Khasakkinte Ithihasam is that it evokes a lot of memories in him.  

Reminder of a bygone era: Khasakkinte Ithihasam takes the reader to a different communal life. It is mythical, magical and close to our culture with which one can easily relate to 

“Khasakkinte Ithihasam reminds us of a bygone era where there was a different communal life. Khasak is very much close to our culture — it is mythical and magical. You may enjoy reading Pamuk, but you may not connect to it. But when you read Vijayan or Basheer, you can relate to the context. I had a different reading of the book. 

It remained in my mind and kept on telling me that I had to do a work on it,” says Deepan who did direction, dramaturgy, and scenography of the play.  He spent several years studying the book before zeroing in on the current project. In 2006, he had done a smaller version of the production with Abhilash Pillai. The latest one was launched in 2015. “The new production is entirely different from the previous one. Within these years, I have changed a lot and my philosophies too,” says Deepan, who uses a ‘hybrid language’ to communicate with the audience. His productions make use of different mediums, and use heavy lighting and puppets.

His production Khasakkinte Ithihasam is getting rave reviews from theatre aficionados. It is because it offers a new experience to the viewer. “It is not done in a scene and act format. For me, it is a three-hour long ritual,” says Deepan, whose production is a visual treat. If the theatre was more of listening to dialogues in yesteryears, Deepan brought novelty to his work by stimulating the five senses of viewers. “For instance, at one point there is rain. Water will pour down to the stage in that scene and the viewer will feel the smell of earth after a shower,” explains Deepan.

A few days prior to the staging of Khasakkinte Ithihasam in Kodungallur, a few artists have gathered there and painted the walls with characters, situations, and interpretations of the novel. K.G. Babu, an artist from Thrissur, who gave a new dimension Vijayan’s work, says the response was immense.

“To do that, I went to Thassrak in Palakkad, a place that inspired Vijayan to write the novel. But, Thassrak was not as explained in the book. So, I went to some nearby places that still have the mood described in the book and did some sketches based on the people I met there. Then I drew O.V. Vijayan among them and made it like him walking through Thassrak,” says Babu.

Photographer Manoj D. who has made a photo series- Karmaparamparayile Kannikal based on the novel, too had visited Thassrak for his project. The series has 3,000 photographs and Manoj believes it will be a treasure for the coming generations. “In future, if a child wishes to visit these places after reading the novel, these photographs would provide him a clear idea,” he elucidates.

Why Khasakkinte Ithihasam is still loved by all? “It is because the freshness is there. I don’t know how the current generation looks at it. But, it had excited the first three generations post the launch,” says poet O.V. Usha, the sister of O.V. Vijayan. People believe that Vijayan wrote this novel when Usha was teaching in Palakkad.

But, that is wrong. “I am 18 years younger to him. We had another sister Shantha Gangadharan; she is no more now. It was she who went to Palakkad as a teacher. Ettan lived there for a few days. She was very friendly with ettan,” Usha clears the air.  Going down the memory lane, she says, “Ettan wrote this book in 10 years because he was working at that time.  He wrote the story Arimbara sitting in my room while I was sleeping. We never thought people would be interested in his life. Hence, we have not kept any journal. Now, we feel that we could have done that,” says Usha.