Gandharvan – Two Legends and a Painting: Narration/Voice-over Script

Reading Time: 4 minutes

 

Below is the narration script of “Gandharvan – Two Legends and a Painting,” a short documentary by Akhil Sathyan, featuring artist Namboodiri and actor Mohanlal. This documentary introduces a creative dialogue on visual art through the legendary figures. 

Namboodiri (monologue)

My name is actually Vasudevan, but I am more commonly known as Namboodiri. People recognise that name because I have signed a lot of paintings as Namboodiri. A long time ago, we had a colony of artists in Madras (now Chennai), known as the Cholamandal Artists’ Village. I had a place there as well. Once, a car drove straight towards my house and stopped. A man could be seen coming inside the home. That was Mohanlal. That’s the first time I met Mohanlal, so many years back.

Mohanlal (monologue)

I’m doing many things that I’m not really skilled at. I wanted to try singing, and I’m able to do that. Similarly, with sketching, but I can’t do it in such detail. But it is definitely a delight to sketch something. I do it very casually when something extremely important is happening around me; I tend to sketch. But I also pay attention to everything. I mostly do it for fun.

Namboodiri (monologue)

 Once, he asked me to accompany him. It was nighttime, and he asked if I was interested in going with him to Kozhikode. I went along. On the way back, we had stopped somewhere. It was night. The light inside the car was on. Someone reorganised him. A huge crowd gathered around the car. After a while, he turned off the light and lay down on the seat.

Mohanlal (monologue)

I knew Namboodiri Sir earlier. Met him at various places on multiple occasions. His paintings are pretty unbelievable. I had requested that he paint one for me a long time back. “Of course”, he said, like he usually replies to everyone.  I was reading Saundarya Lahari at that time. There was one popular verse that I thought no one in the world could paint.

(Soundarya Lahari, meaning waves of beauty, is a Sanskrit devotional poem of 100 verses attributed to Adi Shankaracharya. The text is a hymn dedicated to the goddess Parvati.)

Namboodiri (monologue)

A verse from Adi Shankaracharya’s Saundarya Lahari, Lal had penned an interpretation of that verse. He wanted that scenario in the form of a painting.

Mohanlal (monologue)

I went and handed the verse to him. He read it, looked at me for a while and exclaimed What a fix I had put on him. He agreed to paint it for me. Then, almost 5 years passed, about 4-5 years. Eventually, he started evading me whenever he saw me, and I would call out to him. That’s the time when I was working on my film, Vanaprastham. Then one day, he called me and asked why I wasn’t asking for the painting. I said, “I don’t need to ask,  you paint it when you feel the time is right.  After that, he called me from Calicut and told me he was going to start the painting.

Namboodiri (monologue)

I took a long time to finish that painting. Recently, when I went to Lal’s house, the painting was there.

Mohanlal (monologue)

He looked at the painting for a long time and asked himself if he had indeed painted that. It was a revelation for me.

Namboodiri (monologue)

After that, he said he needed a painting of a Gandharvan.

Mohanlal (monologue)

I said I had certain images that appear in my head. That’s how I usually get paintings made.

This image of  Kamadevan had no physical form. And Namboothiri agreed to paint it. But when he started painting, it took the form of a Gandharvan!

Dialogue between Namboodiri & Mohanlal

 Namboodiri: I have painted something.

Mohanlal: Yes, I know.

After showing the painting

 Mohanlal: – What should I say!

Namboodiri: You don’t have to say anything! (laughs)

Namboodiri: Gandharvan is a remarkable concept. He is in heaven, not on the earth.  And his most important feature is that he is handsome.

Mohanlal. His face has a resemblance to yours.

Namboodiri : (laughs) Me? If I were indeed so attractive, I would have been somewhere else today.

Mohanlal: (laughs) Did you hear that? (laughs)

Namboodiri:- What do you really think of it?

Mohanlal – What can I say?

Mohanlal (monologue): Be it Kamadevan or Gandharvan, it is a painting that he has devoted his soul, time and body. I actually never expected him to paint this for me. It was something that could have slipped his mind. It is a life-size painting. Various people, including artists, visit my home in Madras. I have many paintings at home. I am not a collector, but a custodian. I have acquired many paintings over various journeys. Among all those artworks, people always ask about Namboodiri Sir’s painting. Because the colour combination of the painting is very subtle, everyone has their own interpretation of the painting. The detailing in the painting is filled with mystery. It has a certain spirituality. I consider it my good fortune to receive a painting from someone who has rendered such great works of art; it is truly a blessing.

Namboodiri (monologue): Thus, I could finally hand over the Gandharvan to Lal right here. I am delighted. It is something momentous in my life. Even though I have been involved in many art-related activities, the fact that I could paint something he requested and that he loved it was truly rewarding. It feels like a significant achievement.

 

The legendary artist painted Gandharvan at the age of 96. In the film ‘Njan Gandharwan’ by ace film-maker Padmarajan, the appearance of Gandharvan was designed by him.

 

 

 

 

 

WORKS CITED

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qu2YHcnGmDs