Smitten by Kerala

There are some stories that rival even the potboilers one sees on screen. Courtney Kain from the state of Iowa in America has one such story to narrate — it is her own story. She goes back to the time she accompanied a friend to an Indian buffet where the evergreen Bollywood film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge was playing. As Shah Rukh Khan wooed Kajol on screen, there was another romance being ignited. Courtney smiles, “The moment the song Tujhe dekha toh yeh jana sanam began to play, my eyes locked onto the screen and I fell in love immediately.” Courtney fell in love, not only with the charming King Khan but with Indian cinema. That moment altered her life and led her on a quest to learn more about Indian cinema and culture.  

She explains, “I studied biology and psychology as an undergraduate and became very interested in studying empathy, especially with relation to performance. I wanted answers on how a movie could make me cry, about the process of producing a film about someone else’s life that could trigger such a deep emotional and physiological response in the viewer.”   To Courtney, these questions were not trivial ones. “I was in the process of applying to graduate school to study this concept but there were very few programmes,” she says.  Then Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol cavorted on screen and Courtney found her answer in the romantic couple. She explains, “I could tell that everyone involved in the making of DDLJ understood the principles that I had been contemplating for so long. Even the scenery was executed so perfectly, with the intention to develop in the viewer what I would much later come to know as sringararasa. From that moment, my entire life changed and I began to pursue Indian music and films with a passion that still has never ceased.” 

 

She reveals, “Since I saw the song, I have taken courses on Bollywood films in graduate school. It is very interesting to see how Indian philosophy, politics, religion, and culture are woven into these popular media!”  It so happened that the universe conspired and Courtney got a chance to visit Kerala. She was invited by Indu G. of Nepathya Kudiyattam for a 10-day Koodiyattam festival at their center in Moozhikullam. She was also lucky to be hosted by the family of Sai chetan and Dhanya didi and their daughter Anjana.  That is when she got her Indian name Meenakshi. She elaborates, “One day, soon after I got to the centre, Dhanya didi said people found it difficult to pronounce my name and that they would choose a better Kerala name for me. There were several people on the porch that day and it was decided that they would call me Meenakshi! Then they explained the meaning and history of this name and I felt very honoured that they would give me such a beautiful gift.” 

Picking up the language was also because of her hosts, “I spent a lot of time with the family and the performers, and slowly began to pick up words. It was a very easy environment to begin learning because everyone there had a great sense of humor and they are excellent teachers. I just began learning the most important words and constantly asked questions. When I left the village, my friends Haroon, Faizal and Rameez helped me even more with learning. Actually, besides the pronunciation, I think that learning basic Malayalam can be quite easy if you just give it a try!”   Courtney even managed to learn a few Malayalam songs. She says, “The first song I learned (Kandu kandu kandilla) was taught to me by my music teacher Minu Pasupathi in Chicago. She is an incredible Carnatic singer and has taught me to sing songs in about 10 Indian languages now!” Not only singing, she also enjoys attending live music events and classical performances in the state. 

 

She has seen bands like Agam and Oorali play live and even visited temple events to watch the chenda players or attend the Kathakali, Koodiyattam, and Mohiniyattam events. Not only that, she has also been invited as a guest in a TV comedy show. “I met Mukeshettan and Ramesh Pisharody when I appeared on Badai Bungalow,” she says but wistfully adds, “I would really love to meet Shahrukh Khan some day since he started this journey for me!”   She continues by saying, “Kerala actors are absolutely incredible. I believe they are far better than Hollywood actors because they understand complex human emotions, body language and facial expressions in a way that most American actors don’t fully grasp.” 

Courtney, who has worked as a chef, a teacher, an organiser, a driver, and also served in the US military, is so much in love with Kerala that she declares, “Kerala has been far more amazing than I ever could have imagined. I have lived briefly in Jaipur and Mumbai but I knew nothing of Kerala culture before coming here. I came only for a short 10-day visit but fell in love with it so much that I have stayed here for 4 months. I lived in a village right next to a river with chakka (jackfruit), manga (mango) and pazhum (plantain) growing right outside my door. I’ve lived near the sea and visited the mountains, waterfalls, backwaters and beaches. I've ridden a motorcycle through small villages. The people of Kerala are always looking out for me, inviting me to their homes for a meal. I feel so embraced by the people here and it is no wonder Kerala is known as God’s Own Country.”   She does have a dream, “I want to travel across this beautiful country and learn a language from each state. And yes,  most importantly, I would truly love to settle down in India. I feel at home here more than any place I've ever been. I would also love to act in a Malayalam film! I have been in some discussions but nothing solid as of the moment.”