Rahul Riji Nair’s animated short film ‘Kingara Kavyam’ recreates a folklore

Rahul Riji Nair's animated short 'Kingara Kavyam,' is a poignant tale of resilience based on a folklore

Kingara Kavyam, an animated short film that merges folklore and magical realism, creatively reimagines a rooted, culture-specific story of Kappiri and Kunjala to narrate a story of feudalism, oppression and resilience in medieval Kochi.

The story of Kappiri, a slave from Africa, has existed in the oral and folklore history of Kochi and finds mention in Cochin: Fame and Fables, MK Das’ authoritative book on Kochi.

The lyrical, animated film made by Rahul Riji Nair is a striking example of how animation can be creatively used to discuss socio-economic power systems.

Still from Kingara Kavyam, animated short film by Rahul Riji Nair | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Rahul says the idea of an animation film on the Kappiri Muthappan myth that exists in Kochi came to his mind during the COVID-related lockdown in 2020 when he, like many others, wondered what would happen to cinema when people were confined to their homes. Speaking over the phone, Rahul says that he was also keen on expanding his repertoire and that was when he decided to make an animation film.

“I consider myself as a storyteller and I want to expand to study different media; animation was one such area,” he explains.