“Art forms take shape from the agonies of the human souls...” says director-actor Priyanandan in the docu-fiction Thevan, directed by Najma Naseera Majeed. The work encapsulates the life and times of folk artiste Thevan Peradipurathu from Peringode in Palakkad. The 27-minute documentary was released on March 21, International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Thevan, who belongs to the Paraya community, had to face caste discrimination throughout his life. Although his original name was Vasudevan (one of the many names of Lord Krishna in Hindu mythology), he was never allowed to use that name because he belonged to a “lower caste”.
