Kerala Literature Festival 2019 witnessed a session called 'The Making of Kijote Kathakali: An inter-cultural Theatre Play' on the stage, Vellithira. Nacho Garcia, the director of the theatre play, Monica De La Fuente (Associate Director), Dr. P. Venugopalan (Author of Kathakali Play), Neliyodu Vasudevan Namboothiri (Central character of the Kathakali Play), and Mr. Guillermo Rodriguez, the moderator of the session were on the dais Mr. Guillermo Rodriguez and Ms. Monica De La Fuente are the Spanish couple who are greatly influenced by the Indian art, culture and literature. They both visited India twenty-five years back and Monica decided to stay back and learn Indian art. She became a scholar of Kathakali and Bharathanatyam.
During their visiting days, the Spanish couple decided to make a new version of Kathakali called Kijote Kathakali. They found Dr. P. Venugopalan to write the play with the help of Ayyappa Panicker. Mr. Nacho Garcia, fascinated by the idea, joined the Spanish couples. Thus Kijote Kathakali which is a mix of Spanish and Indian Culture was formed. Nelliyodu Vasudevan Namboothiri became the Quixote of their play.
According to them, the play is the meeting point of past and present heritage. The screening of Kijote Kathakali will be held today on Ezhuthola (stage 1) at 8 pm, which is going to the first performance in Kerala.