Musical video to shed light on Regent Rani

Thiruvananthapuram: A music video on the life and times of the last queen of Travancore, Pooradam Thirunal Sethu Lakshmi Bayi CI, has been brought out by V.S. Sudheer Ghosh, who has also directed it. He has produced a music video on the Kerala floods and also a few documentaries on other topics.

Lakshmi Bayi ruled the kingdom from 1924 to 1931 and introduced many reforms like abolition of Devadasi system and the prohibition of animal sacrifice. The life of Sethu Lakshmi Bayi was chronicled by Manu C. Pillai in his critically acclaimed book The Ivory Throne: Chronicles of the house of Travancore.

The video has lyrics by Sreekumar Narayanan and music by Kavalam Sreekumar who also sings in it along with Saritha Rajiv. The album is produced by Kalaindu Vision. The orchestration is by Rajiv Shiva of Nisara Studio, editing and graphics by Anand S. Lin and narration by Prof. Aliyar. Production designer of the project is Prashanth Thrisvareshan, executive producer Babu K. Pillai and producer R.V. Raghunathan.

The Regent Rani ruled the state till Sree Chithira Thirunal assumed the throne on attaining 18 years of age in 1931 with Satelmond Palace, Muda-vanmughal, being her principal residence. This was later acquired by the government following the ‘Mudavanmugal Michabhoomi samaram’ led by the CPM. At present, the bio-medical wing of the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) is located here.

Following a strike by her servants in the palace in 1957, she suffered a mild heart attack and left for staying with her family in Bengaluru where she died in February 1985. During her rule, Sethu Lakshmi Bayi met Mahatma Gandhi following which she issued a royal proclamation by which all public roads except the eastern road to Vaikom Mahadeva Temple were opened to all castes. This was the prelude to the temple entry proclamation. Gandhi wrote about the Rani in Young India saying she was a role model for other kings and queens of India.