Rishab Shetty’s tryst with Kalaripayattu

From the red earth of Kerala to the silver screen, Kalaripayattu moves with the same rhythm, strength, and fire it has for centuries.

Transcript

00:00Red earth, oil lamps flicker, fighters move in rhythm, every step deliberate,

00:10every breath controlled. This is Kallari Payattu, Kerala's ancient martial art,

00:15considered one of the oldest in the world. It holds center stage in the

00:19blockbuster film Kantara Chapter One. Actor-director Rishabh Shetty trained

00:23for over two years in Kallari Payattu to bring every strike, every stance to life.

00:27Its roots go back over 3,000 years to the early Dravidian civilizations of South India.

00:33By around 200 BCE, the warrior clans of the Chera dynasty, rulers of parts of present-day Kerala

00:39and Tamil Nadu, had formalized these combat techniques into structured schools called

00:43Kallaris. Its influence extends beyond India. Some say it even inspired several

00:48Asian martial arts including Shaolin Kung Fu, Karate and Taekwondo.

00:52Kallari literally means battlefield, the place where warriors honed their craft.

00:56Training combined strikes, kicks, acrobatics and weapons to build strength and reflexes,

01:02while meditation and breath control honed focus.

01:05Ayurvedic knowledge of pressure points, marmas, enhanced defense, healing and agility.

01:10Practitioners wear simple cotton wraps, katsha for men, draped cloths for women,

01:14their bodies oiled for flexibility. Training begins with Maipayattu, fluid sequences that build

01:20balance, reflexes and awareness before progressing to the use of weapons. They learn to wield long wooden

01:26staffs called Cheruvadi, short sticks called Ota, swords, val, shields called Paricha,

01:31daggers called Kathi and the flexible Urumi, each requiring precision, discipline and control,

01:36turning combat into a meditative flow. For centuries, Kallari Payattu shaped warriors, healers

01:42and temple performers across Kerala. But in 1804, following the Kotoyatu war, a rebellion

01:48led by somebody called Parasi Raja, the British East India Company imposed a ban on Kallari Payattu.

01:54The incorrigible Brits viewed trained fighters as a threat to their control. Martial schools

01:59were closed and public practice was forbidden. Yet, some Gurukuls continued teaching in secret,

02:04ensuring the art survived for future generations. Today, it frights. It's taught in Kallari schools,

02:10also practiced by women and attracts students from around the world. Kallari Payattu comes alive

02:15on screen in Gandhara, where Rishabh Shetty trained for over a year to master its strikes,

02:20stances and weapons. The film transforms these centuries-old techniques into a mesmerizing

02:25display of skill, devotion and draw-power. From secret Kallari floors to the silver screen,

02:29Kallari Payattu endures as a living tradition of discipline, precision and unstoppable energy.

02:35Tell us if you have a Kallari Payattu story of your own. Like and share this video and follow our

02:39handle for more no-fluff experiences like this. I'm Manish Ardikari. Thank you for watching the

02:43Kulture Project on MO.