“Kalliyankatt Neeli- Thaikkudam Bridge” by Naren Ajith
A Yakshi is a mythical figure, an apparition/ghost/spirit of a woman who had an unnatural death, returning to the world to avenge those who destroyed her life. Yakshis who are popularly thought to be capricious, bewitchingly beautiful, blood sucking supernatural beings, entice wayfarers to their doom using their sexual charm. The fear and aggression in the male psyche are clearly projected on to these figures.
FROM THE DIRECTOR
“The legend of Kalliyankkatt Neeli is one of the most enduring and notorious Yakshi tales amongst the folklores of Kerala, India. The story of Neeli has undergone innumerable retellings and versions. In one of these versions, Neeli is the heiress of a rich feudal landlord who is married by a cunning trader eyeing her wealth. Eventually, during one of their sojourns in a dense forest, the husband brutally murders her by hitting her with a rock on her head. As she lay there with eyes wide open in mortal agony realizing that her beloved husband has become a fiend ready to murder her who was carrying his baby, without an iota of remorse, she vouches to return to Earth to avenge her death. She gets reincarnated the same night as a baby to a couple. The girl child possessed by the spirit of Neeli soon becomes the talk of the town due to her evil ways. She shows no human emotion, visits graveyards, murders cattles, goats and other animals to drink their blood. Her terrifying demeanor soon attracts priests and magicians but nothing can stop her. Neeli avenges her betrayal by inhabiting palm trees of the Kalliyankkatt forest waiting to kill all men who cross her path. Her terrorizing figure with blood curdled fangs, loose hair, fiery eyes and uncontrollable power haunts the Malayali psyche to this day. Neeli is a rebel. She is a free spirit who has a significant impact even to this day because of the ever rising cases of violation of women’s rights all over the world. Neeli does not succumb to patriarchal, regressive gender norms and customs and instead questions and mocks the denial of independence of women in the society.”
-Naren Ajith
Credits
VIDEO CREDITS:
Director// Naren Ajith | @naren_ajith
DOP// Janamejaya Daroz | @janamejaya
Editor// Siddharth Kapoor | @kapoor_sid
Executive Producer// Bibin Boban | @bibin_boban
Associate Directors// Yadav Shashidhar/ @yadavshashidhar_ and Glen Gerard/ @glen_gerard
Colorist// Yash Soni/ @yashsoni.color
Cast// Simran Sivakumar/ @simran.sivakumar and Vaishak Menon/ @vaishakmenon
Costume// Gloria Saji/ @ohwglo
Makeup// Harsha Pathu/ @harsha_pathu_
Art// Ashif Edayadan/ @ashif_edayadan
Title Design// Akilan Nagarajan/ @akilanky
VFX & Title Animation// Vrajesh Pithadiya/ @vrajeshpithadia
Making// Vyshakh Bhasi/ @bhasi_bhasi
AUDIO CREDITS:
Lyrics// Dhanya Suresh, Mohan VeenaPandit, Vishwa Mohan Bhatt
Vocals and Violin// Govind Vasantha
Lead Guitar// Mithun Raju Rhythm/ @mithunrajuofficial
Guitar// Ashok Betty Nelson/ @ashoknelson
Keys// Ruthin Thej/ @ruthinthej
Bass// Vian Fernandes/ @vian.vf_fernandes
Drums// Anish T N/ @anish.drummer1
Mixed by Rajan K.S
Mastered by Jayakrishnan Nalinkumar/ @jk_theaudioguy
Composed and Produced by Thaikkudam Bridge/ @thaikkudambridge
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