Khasak as digital art

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Fifty reprints in forty years and ‘Khasakkinte Itihasam’ is still making waves among lovers of literature. Bringing back the memories of Khasak, the students of the Kerala State Centre for Advanced Printing and Training (C-APT) organised ‘Varakalil Khasak’, a one-day exhibition of drawings and digital paintings, here on Tuesday.Pencil drawings of various scenes from the legendary novel and its digital version were exhibited side by side. Paintings of Ravi alighting at Koonammavu, the landscape of Khasak alias Thasarak, the swaying black palms and the mythical sheikh depicted the visual beauty of myth and reality associated with the novel.Around 30 students of C-APT went to Thasarak, in Palakkad, to study the background of the novel. The drawings by Shajeev, Najeeb, Nisar, Jithin, Abhilash, Jaffar, Pranav, Nithyanad, Atul and Anish were exhibited at the venue.The exhibition was organised as part of the World Animation Day. Sculptor Kanayi Kunhiraman inaugurated the exhibition. He said the serious approach of the students was evident from the drawings exhibited.Just as she spells charm over the reader, the voluptuous Mymoona was the cynosure of all eyes. The visualisation of unforgettable characters such as Ravi, Appukili and Allapicha Mollakka easily went with one’s imagination. The paintings also covered Ravi’s school, students, the sheikh and his horse etc.More than 70 paintings depicting various scenes were exhibited. The coloured digital version carried the mood of the scene. It also had some unforgettable dialogues inscribed over it. The paintings comparing the old and new Thasarak too found a place in the exhibition.Two drawings - Ravi’s entry to Koonammavu and his wait at the end - and all other drawings in between were a fitting tribute to O V Vijayan.