Life & Style

Designer Giorgio Armani was synonymous with modern Italian style and elegance. He combined the flair of the designer with the acumen of a businessman, running a company that turned over some 2.3 billion euros ($2.7 billion) a year. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

The quaint green village of Athimalaipattu, 14 km from Arani in Tamil Nadu, wakes up before sunrise. By dawn, the roads are alive with colour: long rows of silk threads stretched carefully from end to end, beaten gently to bring out their shine. Children run around, carrying ropes, sticks, and scissors, helping their weaver-parents with this centuries-old step known as street warping, after which the threads find their way to the loom, ready to be woven into a silk saree.

Learning from heritage artisans a must

“Why is this process done before sunrise?” someone asked, perking up. 

The question cut through the steady warping rhythm of a weaver. Doubts about his centuries-old family craft were unusual. “After sunrise, the heat will break the silk threads, and they will not be tensile and tight to be drawn as sarees,” he said, looking up. It was Swathini Ramesh, a student of the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Chennai. She hurriedly scribbled his reply in her notebook as she was keenly observing. 

Swathini and her 19 classmates, after completing their second year of Bachelors in Design (textile design), came and stayed in Athimalaipattu for a week to learn about their silk saree production as part of their Craft Research and Documentation component, as prescribed by the Union Ministry of Textiles. 

“As part of their curriculum, students from all NIFT centres, including Chennai, visit craft clusters such as Arani that specialise in traditional crafts. This helps them to develop respect for the age-old arts of India,” said Professor Divya Satyan, Director, NIFT Chennai.

They are supposed to stay, work with the artisans, document the craft and present it as a report. “It helps to preserve and document heritage art and craft. Then, it gives the students the idea to take these traditional crafts to a new level. Then, in the final year, they go back to the cluster for a collaborative project and implement interventions – like how to utilise resources without affecting the environment,” said Associate Professor G. Krishnaraj, textile design department at NIFT Chennai. 

Bringing classroom lessons to life

“This was the chance to see the theory of our classrooms come alive in threads and looms,” said Arushi Bansal, another student who visited Arani with Swathini. Although they had a loom in their classroom, seeing a full-sized handloom in Arani left them awestruck. “We did weave a cotton cloth, in the size of a handkerchief, in college. But it was not the real deal,” said Swathini. 

“The ones in Arani were large and were in a pit,” said Arushi. A pit handloom is a traditional loom with a wooden frame, and it is used to weave silk or cotton. The weaver sits above a shallow pit in the floor. Pedals in the pit control the up-and-down movement of the warp threads (the long vertical threads), while the weaver’s hands pass a shuttle carrying the horizontal threads through them. By repeating this rhythm over hours, the threads slowly turn into fabric. 

“I laughed when one of the students asked why the loom sits in a pit instead of on the ground. I explained that it allows me to work for hours without a break. Sitting above the pit with my feet inside makes it easy to operate the pedals, while my hands remain free to pass the shuttle and manage the threads,” recalled Venkatesan A, a 37-year-old weaver from the village. This loom helped his posture. “I don’t have to bend over the yarn and hurt my back.”

Arushi said she learnt more during the week with the Arani weavers than she had in two years of classroom study. “The hand-eye coordination these weavers have comes only from practice. If they have to transition to another colour in the saree, the weavers cut around 4,000 warped threads manually, then they take the other colour and knot it with the 4,000 ends before weaving. The hard work put into weaving a saree in a handloom was inspiring,” said Arushi. 

Professor Krishnaraj said that saree designs cannot be done casually. “The students observed looms of different sizes and capacities. That’s when they could understand that only some looms allow two-inch-long designs, while others let designs with a length of four inches. There is no design that corresponds to one-size-fits-for-all.”

The students also visited the mulberry plantations and sericulture areas from where silk originates from silkworms. 

Revisiting their learning centre

The Arani weavers are very hospitable people, said Swathini. “They gave us food, kept flowers on our head and even accommodated non-Tamil-speaking students in our batch. They taught me weaving in their handlooms too.”

During the seventh semester, the students are asked to go back to the clusters to work on a project. “I wanted to use natural and plant-based dyes to create a bridal wear brand with their silk. They agreed to send me the silk so I could dye it with natural dyes. They even kept a section for natural-dye silk sarees for sale in their cooperative society showroom,” said Swathini. “They encouraged me that promoting natural dyes is important because it is less hazardous to the environment.”

After college, Swathini started a brand and has an outlet in Thiruverkadu, Chennai and sells these natural dye sarees, sourcing silk from Arani, among different places in Tamil Nadu. 

Arani silk is different, despite being an hour away from Kanchipuram. “Kanchipuram silk is a very heavy and traditional material. But Arani silk is more contemporary with modern motifs, mostly used for office and casual wear. Arani is also famous for checks (designs). These sarees also weigh less,” said Swathini. 

Arushi, on the other hand, plans to collaborate with the Arani weavers to promote and popularise their production with social media and branding. “They gave a non-Tamil speaker like me so much love and care. They did not even speak English, but I could understand what they were communicating with some sign language and weaving practices. They opened up their houses, looms, and craft secrets to us.”

“The younger generation are gradually drifting away from our family and generational art. We want more weavers to join us. Our cooperative society offers handloom training with a small stipend too,” said Venkatesan. 

Published – September 04, 2025 05:23 pm IST

Children learnt and had fun too at the workshop
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Sithara Krishnakumar with her daughter Saawan Rithu
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Gaurang Shah is tired of hearing people say ‘purane zamaane main… (in the good old times…)’, a phrase often tinged with nostalgia and disdain, when they discuss handwoven textiles and crafts. “There is so much to celebrate in the contemporary context,” says the Hyderabad-based textile designer, who has been working with craftspeople for three decades. This idea of celebrating craftsmanship and thereby expanding a niche market led him to integrate a textile museum at his new store in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad.

Named after his signature label, Gaurang, the three-storeyed structure features permanent and temporary exhibits. Designed by architect Sona Reddy, each floor is approximately 6500 square feet and juxtaposes museum exhibits and retail space that stocks collections for men, women, children, and home.

Those who have followed Gaurang’s journey would be aware of his label’s heirloom-worthy saris and ensembles. He now works with 7,000 artisan families across India. These exhibits are strategically placed to pique the curiosity of casual buyers who may not be craft-aware, and those who want to dig deeper.

Swaroop

The exteriors are painted in a shade of deep indigo, the outer walls in vermillion, and the walls adjacent to the staircase are in vibrant turmeric. As one ascends the staircase leading to each floor, there are framed artworks from Gaurang’s series on Shreenathji titled Swaroop.

An artwork from Swaroop, the Shreenathji series
| Photo Credit:
Sangeetha Devi Dundoo

Each image of Lord Krishna is rendered in a unique technique — Lucknow’s chikan embroidery, kasuti from Karnataka, aari from Kashmir, patachitra of Odisha, jamdani weaves from Srikakulam and Venkatagiri, Tanjore painting, and more. “This display is positioned to encourage visitors to think of textile as art that can brighten up their homes and offices. Some of the pieces we unveiled last year have been sold and we have placed fresh orders,” says Gaurang.

Theme of the month

The first floor, themed on kalamkari all this month, showcases saris and ensembles that spotlight hand-drawn kalamkari in natural dyes. Some of these are from his Chitravali collection that recreates murals of Ajanta and Ellora caves. Alongside these wearable art pieces, is a stunning conversation starter — a 50-foot long, 10-foot high textile wall panel that narrates stories from the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Bhagavatham.

A portion of the 50-foot long, 10-foot high kalamkari panel by Kalam Creations
| Photo Credit:
Sangeetha Devi Dundoo

“This piece has been with us for a decade and we were looking for the right space to exhibit it,” says Gaurang. The wall panel was hand-drawn by an artist of Kalam Creations founded by Mamata Reddy. Plans are on to submit this wall panel to the Guinness Book of World Records. Artisans of Kalam Creations have also worked on a collection of saris and other kalamkari wall panels at the museum-store.

The other wall panels on this floor showcase hand-drawn kalamkari in the Nayika style from Tamil Nadu narrating stories from the Ramayana. A few textile panels depict the Tree of Life.

This floor’s theme, says Gaurang, will change each month. “We have drawn out a 12-month schedule. Patola will be in focus next month.”

A kalamkari ensemble at Gaurang Shah’s textile museum-store
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Thread bare

‘A Thread Runs Through It’, is the theme of the second floor. The walls feature framed exhibits of embroideries. One wall is dedicated to the signature embroideries representing the different tribes of Kutch — suf, aahir, rabari, and others. Another wall spotlights embroidered floral motifs — petit point from Kerala, suzani from Kashmir, phulkari baghs from Punjab, kantha from Bengal, gara and French knots from Maharashtra.

Snapshots of embroidery techniques from varied craft clusters
| Photo Credit:
Sangeetha Devi Dundoo

All for jamdani

On the third floor, the Interlace series focuses on heritage jamdani techniques. Framed exhibits recreate motifs from Mughal architecture in shades of white and gold, using fine cotton and silk yarns. “Some of these exhibits took more than six months to create. We had to pause further orders so that the weavers could continue to work on saris,” says Gaurang.

The jamdani display is part of the permanent exhibits at the museum. Wall installations detail the thread count and techniques followed by jamdani clusters in Dhaka, Varanasi, Kashmir, Srikakulam, Uppada, Venkatagiri, and others. A note near each exhibit details how each jamdani cluster works.

For instance, the Uppada jamdani installation shows how the weavers use the jala system, in which hand-tied cords lift warp threads according to a design drawn on a graph sheet. On this lifted warp, the weaver places the jamdani weft, creating motifs that balance geometry and fluid expression. A staggering 4,500 threads form the warp.

Contrast this with jamdani from Dhaka. On the loom, motifs emerge from memory without any guiding graph or paper. The weaver counts with precision, inserting the supplementary jamdani weft thread by hand. It is a skill passed down generations. The warp carries 3,500 threads.

Vignahartha

With the museum being inaugurated during Ganesh festivities, visitors can also browse through Vignahartha — a series of textile wall panels.

Ganesha in Jammu and Kashmir’s kani technique

Ganesha in Jammu and Kashmir’s kani handwoven technique took artisans 90 days of work. Two pichwai renditions of Ganesha on khadi, from Rajasthan, took the artisans 65 to 70 days each. A tie-and-dye double ikat style from Gujarat’s Patan, involved 320 days of work. While this piece is in hues of a rich vermillion and turmeric yellows interspersed with muted pinks, blues and greens, a silver-white Ganesha from Ahmedabad speaks of the mirrorwork and gara embroidery. And, the story continues across craft clusters.

Gaurang explains, “The language of design changes every few kilometres; there is always a different weave, embroidery, or motif. I have done the rounds at Lakme Fashion Weeks, showcasing handwoven saris season after season for years. Now my focus is on the museum. The intention is to make visitors observe, be better informed and appreciate living heritage.”

(Gaurang’s textile museum is on Road no.59, adjacent to Gaurang’s Kitchen, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad)

Published – September 04, 2025 03:26 pm IST

The Monarch by R Magesh
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The StoneX refinery in Kishangarh, Rajasthan, is like a garden brimming with slabs of stones. There are 700 varieties, with colours as myriad as flowers in bloom, behold the slabs in nearly 100 shades of white, pink, peach, green, red… Instead of bees buzzing, the space echoes the sound of marbles being polished and cut. The company that started out in 2003, sourcing and offering a variety of marbles and stones, ventured into the luxury lifestyle segment a couple of years ago. And in this new endeavour, art and cultural storytelling play a stellar role.

StoneX recently launched a coffee table book to celebrate the poetry of stone and the work of 10 masters — Shanthamani Muddaiah, Sudarshan Shetty, Gigi Scaria, Shaik Azghar Ali, Harsha Durugadda, R Magesh, Yogesh Ramkrishna, Teja Gavankar, Chandrashekar Koteshwar, and Harmeet Rattan.

Gigi Scaria’s sculpture 
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

“We spoke to 200 artists from around the country and the world and chose people who could relate to the material, were passionate about it, and did not look at it just like a block of stone,” says Sushant Pathak, Group CMO, StoneX Global.

“We spent the first 15 years enhancing the quality of natural stones. When we felt we had mastered the quality, we realised that stone is still not as valued as it should be; it’s still seen as a commodity. We want to let people know what they are bringing into their homes,” explains Sushant. The idea here to tell the story behind a stone and really understand and appreciate it. And as part of this, art seemed like a natural progression. The StoneX Art Soiree was born in March this year, where in the 10 artists, whose works are now captured in the coffee table book, were onboarded to create sculptures with stone. Their works represent a gamut of emotions and expressions right from nostalgia and humour to fantasy and protest.

Work in progress at the refinery
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Walk through the labyrinthine refinery — peppered with sculptures and installations — and you will find yourself in a gallery-like space showcasing their work. “The brief was very simple. We believe in celebrating the origin of the stone. The artists were given the creative freedom to express their stories. For example, Shanthamani’s Bloom, carved out of Macedonian marble, is inspired by Alexander The Great’s journey from Macedonia to India and the discovery of sari,” he explains.

The artists were given six months to complete their sculpture. While stone is hard, it requires patience and skill to work with. Just chiselling and polishing does not create a masterpiece. With most other materials you can go back and make a correction but with stone, one wrong chisel and the whole art piece is gone, says Sushant, highlighting that while there is a sort of permanence to stone, it can still be vulnerable. The sculptures, some weighing 800 kilograms, are now being taken around the country, to each artist’s hometown for an immersive experience.

Harmeet Rattan’s work
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Up next, StoneX will soon have a bottega in the refinery. And it is coming up with a design district in Delhi that will be spread across two lakh square feet. In addition to art, it will also incorporate experiential dining, for which chefs have been sent on a journey to learn more about the provenance of stones and create flavours,while scents, that smell like stone, are being created by a master perfumer. Clearly at StoneX art encompasses all the senses.

Sushant Pathak – Group CMO, StoneX Global

Published – September 04, 2025 01:40 pm IST

The 1.0-litre turbo-petrol with CVT makes the Kiger one of the most engaging and effortless compact SUVs to drive.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Renault’s Kiger has always been positioned as an accessible SUV for Indian buyers—a car that blends style, practicality, and value in a tightly packaged form. Over time, it has grown into something more than just an entry-level option, and today it faces stronger rivals (finds itself competing with far stronger rivals), including the Maruti Suzuki Fronx that sells through Nexa showrooms. The surprising bit? The Kiger doesn’t just hold its ground—it actually makes a compelling case against it.

At first glance, the Kiger looks every bit the modern compact SUV. The coupe-inspired roofline, bold grille with chrome accents, C-shaped LED DRLs, and neatly sculpted bonnet all give it a sporty yet confident stance. Dual-tone paint schemes and smart 16-inch alloys further add to its road presence. It’s not flashy in an overdone way—rather, it’s well-judged styling that ensures the Kiger turns heads without polarising opinions.

The Renault Kiger’s bold grille, coupe-like roofline and dual-tone paint give it a sporty, modern SUV stance.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Where the Kiger really surprises is on the inside. Despite its compact dimensions, the cabin is cleverly laid out and makes excellent use of available space. Rear seat room is generous enough for two adults to be comfortable, and the 405-litre boot is among the best in this class. Compared to the Fronx, the Kiger is the more spacious and practical choice, both for passengers and luggage. The dashboard design is simple but modern, dominated by an 8-inch touchscreen with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, along with a digital driver display. Quality isn’t top tier, but it feels well-built and more than acceptable at this price point.

Renault has also made sure the Kiger ticks the right boxes when it comes to equipment. Wireless charging, push-button start, climate control, ambient lighting, and an Arkamys audio system make it feel well-rounded, while safety is handled by four airbags, ABS with EBD, ISOFIX mounts, and a reversing camera. It’s not the most feature-packed SUV in the segment, but crucially, it offers what buyers actually use and appreciate.

Inside the Renault Kiger: a practical cabin with ample rear seat space and one of the largest boots in its class.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

The biggest talking point, however, is under the hood. The Kiger’s 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine delivers a lively punch that transforms the driving experience. The engine churns out a solid 100 hp of power and 152Nm of torque. Paired with the CVT, it offers smooth progress in the city and relaxed cruising on highways. What’s impressive is how Renault has managed to address the age-old complaint with CVTs—the rubber-band effect. Thanks to some innovative tuning, throttle response feels natural, and the CVT holds revs intelligently, even managing inclines without excessive droning. This makes the turbo-CVT combo one of the most enjoyable and practical setups in the compact SUV space. The lower variants get the naturally aspirated 1.0 litre engine that delivers 72 hp of power and is ample for a car of this size.

This brings us back to the Maruti Suzuki Fronx. While the Fronx wears Nexa’s premium badge and does bring a polished experience, the Kiger undercuts it on price while offering more space inside. Add to that the peppy turbo engine and the surprisingly sorted CVT, and the Kiger starts to look like the more rational choice for buyers who want style, usability, and a fun-to-drive element, all without overspending.

Feature highlights like an 8-inch touchscreen, wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay and ambient lighting add to the Kiger’s appeal.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

The Renault Kiger may not have the brand aura of Maruti’s Nexa offerings, but it delivers where it counts. It looks the part, has more space than most rivals, drives well in turbo-CVT guise, and comes at a price that makes it hard to ignore. Against the Fronx, it emerges as the more practical and better-value proposition—proving that Renault’s compact SUV still has plenty of fight left in it.

Kiger Price Range: INR 6.29 – 11.29 lakh

Motorscribes, in association with The Hindu, brings you the latest in cars and bikes. Follow them on Instagram on @motorscribes

READ MORE

‘Vandharai vaazhaveikkum Chennai’, an oft used axiom referring to the city’s hospitality, holds absolute validity for most musicians performing at the third edition of The Hindu’sMade of Chennai Food and Music Festival. Although the city may have seemed daunting to them after having trooped to Chennai from small towns and villages, this epicentre of Tamil cinema and culture has developed the uncanny ability to help the talented rise to superstardom.

On September 13 and 14, a host of these accomplished artistes from different parts of the country including the likes of Thaikkudam Bridge, Antony Dasan, and Pradeep Kumar, will take over YMCA Ground in Nadanam. A food festival showcasing some of the city’s most iconic street food, biryani, and homegrown brands, will take place alongside the music festival. Some artistes who are in rehearsals, getting ready to perform at the event speak of their fond Chennai memories and tell us where they step out to eat.

ADK at a previous concert
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Mor to come

Singer Pradeep Kumar who arrived in Chennai at 17, hoping to pursue a career in music, lived in the crowded bylanes of Ranganathan street in T Nagar when he first got here. “The lodge is an inescapable Chennai experience for most bachelors who come here. The city seemed so huge. The space was big,” says the singer who is performing on September 13. After years of having lived in the city, the perception has changed. “It has become small again. Everyone forms their own silos, don’t they,” he says.

The artiste who recently released ‘Osai Kekudho’, his latest album on vinyl, says that his performance is a ‘set list’ and not a ‘playlist’ unfortunately. In the finite time he has, Pradeep promises to perform highlights from his cinema career and songs from his independent albums.

The singer, originally from Tiruchi, says that he began heading out to eat only when he arrived in Chennai and enjoys the occasional Burma atho indulgence. Now though, he steps out only to drink butter milk with fixings like boondhi and raw mango by mor thatha.

Oorka, the band
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

On the other hand, Eelam Tamil rapper Aaryan Dinesh Kanagaratnam who goes by the name ADK, says that the minute he lands in Chennai, he places an order at Ambur Star Biryani. “Only then do I attend to my next task,” he says.

ADK now calls Chennai his second home and says that he spends half his year in the city. He is passionate about food and tends to eat at Erode Amman Mess when he is in town but has now begun sampling biryanis (only mutton biryani is biryani, he alleges) from some underground legendary shops too. “We have lots of kothu parotta in Sri Lanka but the way they make it in Chennai has a light moistness due to the egg. It is light. I could keep eating it,” he says.

For the food and music festival when he performs on September 13, he promises crowd pleasers from his discography like ‘Magudi’ and ‘Aathichudi’ but adds that he will also be testing out his independent raps and a Sri Lankan baila song. “That is when one can truly test out a song’s might,” he says.

Chinnaponnu, the folk artiste behind the runaway hit ‘Nakku Mukka’, will be getting on stage at the festival on September 14. Although she has ascended many packed performance platforms since she first began, her fondest memory of a show is the first edition of Chennai sangamam back in 2007. “So many folk artistes performing karagattam, mayil attam and several other forms of music and dance got on that stage. We performed at schools, at the beach, and concert venues. An audience always gathered. That is what I love about Chennai. There is an audience anywhere one performs,” she says.

The artiste says that every performance of her is hinged on energy that she receives from the audience. It is why her set list is full of songs that help the audience explode. “I will be singing folk and cinema music. I love it when the audience requests my folk songs. It feels like everyone wants to connect to their roots,” she says.

Although originally from Thanjavur and Sivaganga, the artiste who now lives in Chennai says that she rarely ever eats out, but when she does, it is for a meal that reminds her of her home. “I like a good meal at Hotel Virudhunagar,” she says.

People gathered at The Hindu Made of Chennai food and music festival at Island grounds, Chennai at a previous edition
| Photo Credit:
Akhila Easwaran

Unlike the other artistes here, Bharath Sankar, the frontman of the Tamil band Oorka, says that he has been a Chennai resident all his life. In what he calls his home turf, his science lab, and kitchen, Bharath says that musicians are given all the space and time to experiment. When they perform on September 14, expect to see singer Pradeep Kumar yet again, this time, playing the bass guitar. “Only a few days ago, an audience member texted me saying that he had watched us perform at an event by The Hindu in 2018. We had a performance after lunch and were unsure about the response but we got heartening messages. That is the kind of audience we have in Chennai and we are excited to perform on the home turf again,” he says.

Treating the taste buds

For all these artistes and for everyone else looking to attend the event, Shabnam Kamil, the curator of the food festival promises delights from the Chennai street food scene. For three years now, legendary brands like C. Kunhiraman General Stores (with mango ice cream, milk and various other treats), G Gopaul Dairy (with bun butter jam), and KGN Aarifa Biryani (with their biryani), who usually do not put up stalls at festivals, will make an appearance for the third time too. “The vendors have been asking me for dates of the festival for many months now because they are sure that the audience enjoys their food. It is an opportunity for owners to see the kind of love people have for their brands,” she says.

C Kunhiraman General Stores in Royapuram has been selling mango ice cream, made in-house, since 1953.
| Photo Credit:
JOTHI RAMALINGAM B

Shabnam adds that homegrown brands from Chennai, Coimbatore and Sattur will also be here like Batter, Ciclo Cafe, Sattur Snacks and Kovai Anganam. “I wait for August every year. The food festival makes everyone’s hard work worth it,” she says.

If you want to check out The Hindu’s Food and Music festival on September 13 and 14, register at madeofchennai.thehindu.com.

The Hindu Made of Chennai is presented by Casagrand and powered by SRM. In association with Union Bank of India. Associate Partners: Tata Tea Chakra Gold, Tata Coffee, Hell Energy. Tourism sponsor: UP Tourism. Hydration partner: Parry Foods. The event is also done in partnership with Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation, Greater Chennai Corporation, Greater Chennai Police, Greater Chennai Traffic Police and Namma Marina, Namma Pride. Radio Partners: Big FM, Fever FM and Radio On. Activewear partner: Technosport. Walk partners: Port Trust of India and Kamarajar Port Limited. Happiness Partner: On The Streets Of Chennai.

Published – September 04, 2025 12:27 pm IST

Four centuries since the publication of Don Quixote, regarded as the first modern novel in literature, theatre director Aliyar Ali is set to revive this classic tale of an idealist knight, Don Quixote, fighting the battles of a realistic world.

The Spanish novel written in the 17th century by Miguel de Cervantes has been adapted into a Malayalam play, Nanmayil John Quixote. It will be staged in Thiruvananthapuram by city-based Theatre Academy for Media and Performance (THAMP) in collaboration with Athlete, a sportive theatre space in Palakkad, on September 12 and 13.

A still from Nanmayil John Quixote
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Nanmayil John Quixote is a homage to Aliyar’s deceased friend and visual artist, Midhun Murali. “Don Quixote inspired Midhun a lot and he wanted to visualise the text. We are animating some of his art work, which will be used in this play,” says Aliyar.

Midhun, who passed away in 2023, was part of Athlete’s production called Knockout, which explored the performance possibilities of boxing in theatre. It was adapted from Krapp’s Last Tape, a one-act play written by Samuel Beckett. Similarly, Nanmayil John Quixote, set in contemporary Kerala, uses kalaripayattu (an indigenous martial art) as a narrative device.

Also read: Theatre director Deepan Sivaraman on Ibsen’s ‘Peer Gynt’ adaptation to be staged at Alexandrinsky Theatre Festival in Russia

Character arc

Aliyar, an alumnus of the National School of Drama, Delhi, and the winner of the Best Director award by the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi in 2017, emphasises that the team wanted “a work which does not remind people that it is a foreign text. While Nanmayil… stays consistent to the original plot, it has a relatable cultural context created by tweaking the story’s background.”

Theatre director Aliyar Ali
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Through his work, the director, explains the protagonist John’s unhinged personality, arguing how he would “believe it is madness to let go of his dreams to fight a knight’s fight”, while he fights battles sparked by romanticised ideals about noblemen. “When we look at great discoveries by scientists, we can sense some obsession in them that led them to such findings. Even in history, revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh pursued such ‘impractical thoughts’ as a noble cause,” he adds.

Veteran theatre artiste, Saji Thulasidas, plays John in this production, which premiered at the Government Victoria College in Palakkad in April, following a year of rehearsal camps at Nenmara, Palakkad. In the 15-member cast, senior actor Dasan Kongad plays Sancho Pachan, Aliyar’s version of Don’s sidekick Sancho Panza in the novel.

Adapting a classic

“For someone who has read the text, the play will feel the same due to unrevised plot points. For instance, in the novel, they use a barber’s bowl to replicate a crown in one of the scenes. Similarly, we use a colander as a crown for John, given to him by the vessel seller,” says Aliyar.

A still from Nanmayil John Quixote
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

In the original text, the character is transported into an era of chivalry. This is brought in the play, as he travels to different parts of Kerala.

Aliyar says, “I see it as a political satire about someone who lost his mind after reading too much about the bravery of knights. His pursuits were for a world espousing equality. We have used the term athinayakan, instead of knighthood awarded by lords and kings. This status is given by a Theyyam and further uses myths associated with the Cheraman Perumal dynasty in Kerala,” Aliyar says.

A still from Nanmayil John Quixote
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Experiments in theatre

“Kerala has been fostering experimental theatre in the country,” says Aliyar about the performance space for the play, resembling an arena or poothara, a multi-tiered platform, with kalaripayattu weapons placed in one corner.

In the cast is Shyju Gurukkal, “one of the first people in Asia to make use of the theatrical possibilities of kalaripayattu, among other practitioners of the same.”

He adds, “Another interesting fact is that, in the poster, I am not the director; it is given as Zid Hameta Quixotali, an invisible character in the play, who doesn’t appear on the stage. The reason why we did that is Miguel himself says that he had translated the text from an Arabic writer. Just like we have Ezhuthachan’s Adhyatma Ramayanam Kilippattu, a Malayalam retelling of the original text in the kilippattu (bird song) format.”

The music for the play is an EDM track combining folk, contemporary, and fusion music, by Naru Parai Isai. Artist Shanto Antony, known for graffiti painting, has designed the set.

Nanmayil John Quixote, will staged at Vyloppilly Samskrithi Bhavan on Sept 12 and 13, at 6.30 pm. Passes available at ₹200. Contact: 9496546902

Published – September 04, 2025 11:00 am IST