One of the perks of growing up in India is that we have so many local ghost stories and there are as many creative variations as the number of storytellers. Kandittund! (Seen it!) in essence is one such story of a storyteller.
This time (during the making of this short animated movie), the storyteller happens to be 89 year old – Mr. P.N.K Panicker who has left no stone unturned to tell his imaginative renditions of ghost stories to his kids, grandkids, and complete strangers in Kerala’s tea shops and bakeries.
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Studio Eeksaurus has picked up these stories and given these ghosts a form. The narration is in Malayalam – the primary language spoken in Kerala and is more like a conversation between Mr. Panicker and his son. The narrator makes hushed acknowledgments as Mr. Panicker continues his mixed-up-spirited stories.
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This short movie is black and white, which, I think, fits well with the theme and also feels drastically different from Tokri, which has secured a permanent place in my list of favorites.
While there are no language barriers in a silent movie, the dependency on subtitles for Kandittund makes you pace. And so, I watched it twice and thrice to catch up on the details and read the comments on YouTube to peep into the sentiments of Keralites who would have picked up the nuances I was bound to miss.
Studio Eeksaurus later released a Hindi dub of this short film, and the voiceover is on point! The authenticity of how a Malayali person speaks in Hindi adds to the charm. Mr. Panicker’s voice brings back the childhood nostalgia of listening to stories.
Overall, Kandittund is adorable and funny, with an undertone of brilliantly capturing an everyday local affair. If I were in Kerala, knew Malayalam, and were caught off-guard in a tea shop, I wouldn’t mind hearing how ghosts got electrocuted or why EENAM-PECHI collects raw mangoes, or about my favorite from the lot – ARUKOLA.
We have come across so many mummies, zombies, nuns, and dolls, but an Arukola with a single slipper on? Well, that’s got to count for something.
Directed by Adithi Krishnadas, Kandittund (Seen it!) won the 69th National Award for Best Animation Film.
A wonderfully made short movie and a recommended watch.
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