Trivandrum Series: Kerala Chalachithra Academy – A Goldmine for Cinephiles – 1

If there’s one thing that can distract an average Malayalee from the magical world of books and literature, it’s the allure of cinema. I’m no different. My family is no different. Even my close friends are no different. We are all movie aficionados who love catching the latest releases in theatres, before the spoilers from social media posts destroy the experience. 

So, it ain’t any surprise that visiting the Kerala Chalachithra Academy, located inside the KINFRA Film and Video Park campus in  Kazhakoottam, was a priority item on my Trivandrum itinerary. The place is open Monday to Saturday from 10:30 AM to 5:30 PM. But do call ahead to inform the staff about your visit, and carry a valid ID for security check-ins.

A Rainy Start

September 24, 2025, my 14th day of a month-long stay in Trivandrum, was a rainy Wednesday. I woke up at 6:30 am, worrying if it was going to be a stay-in kind of day. So, I spent an hour on my hostel’s terrace, pacing and exercising, while listening to both the pitter-patter of rain on the tin roof and a YouTube video of Anupama Chopra interviewing the core trio of the superhit Malayalam movie, Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra.  – Director Dominic Arun, Actor-Producer Dulquer Salmaan, and Lead Kalyani Priyadarshan.  At that time, that film was a rage in theatres, and like the rest of Kerala, I was also impatiently awaiting its sequels. 

Bus Route 

By the end of the video, the rain stopped too. The sun shone not just on the muddy paths outside my hostel, but also on my travel plans for the day. 

I quickly freshened up, devoured my idli-sambar breakfast, and caught a bus to Kazhakoottam. From there, I boarded another bus to the Venjaramoodu route and bought a Rs 15 ticket to KINFRA. Since it was my first time on that route, I asked the bus conductor to give me a holler when my stop arrived. 

2.3 kilometers away from my destination, barely a 6-minute distance by bus, the traffic came to a standstill on the waterlogged road. But the police officers soon cleared the congestion and let the bus pass. The bus rolled past the Sainik School, where the famous Malayalam actor-brother duo Indrajith Sukumaran and Prithviraj Sukumaran studied. Around 11 am, I reached the KINFRA campus entrance. 

Entry Procedures

I had already contacted the reception desk of the Kerala Chalachithra Academy. When I told them about my Kerala blog series, they were happy to help. 

At KINFRA’s entrance gate, the security officer checked my ID and entered my details in the register before letting me in. I had to repeat this procedure again at the academy’s gate and reception desk.

Premises

The security guard told me to walk straight to the roundabout and to find the nearest red building. On the way, I saw the L V Prasad film laboratories on the left, and a company named Systrome on the right. 

Soon, I reached the Kerala Chalachithra Academy building. Honestly, it was hard to miss. The whole building gave artistic vibes; maybe because of its rustic, brick-orange color, the art installations outside, or even the lush trees.

Art Installations  

Right at the entrance, I was greeted by an art installation featuring a stylised figure from Tholpavakoothu (traditional shadow puppetry).  I know this detail because it’s also the official logo of IFFK – the renowned International Film Festival of Kerala, organized by the Kerala Chalachithra Academy. 

I’ve never attended it, but it’s on my list. My cinephile friends claim that Trivandrum turns magical during the IFFK days – not just because of the movies they screen and celebrities who visit, but also because of the crowds it draws and conversations it starts. 

There were more art installations outside the building, mainly one showing a cameraman and a sound recorder at work. I wondered what their story was. All these art installations were made of bearings; I could see the occasional gears, too. When I showed these photos to my dad later, he immediately spotted the bevel gears.

Reception 

Sameer Chetan from Nedumangad was the security guard that day. Jaya Ma’am was at the reception. Luckily, she was the same person I spoke to over the phone. So after a chit-chat, a general introduction of the academy, and going over a few do’s and don’ts, the crux being not to disturb the staff at work, she encouraged me to check out the photos on the walls, awards and books on the shelves, then to take the staircase to the first floor, and to explore the library and archives. 

J.C. Daniel & Vigathakumaran 

My exploration started with the J.C. Daniel image, featured right above the reception desk. It was constructed from electronic items such as the motherboard, capacitors, and resistors. 

J.C.Daniel, who lived from 1900 to 1975, is regarded as the pioneer of Malayalam cinema. He produced, directed, wrote, edited, and acted in the first Malayalam feature film, Vigathakumaran (1928).

The 2013 Malayalam biographical drama film Celluloid portrayed the story of J.C. Daniel, focusing on the making of Vigathakumaran and the tragic life of its heroine, P. K. Rosy.

Synchronizer

Up next, an old synchronizer on the ground floor caught my attention. In the film world, it’s a device used to align multiple film strips in a replay or editing device. 

Much to my delight, there were also other yesteryear film equipment next to it, such as a splicer, Moviola – an iconic editing device, an old Arriflex camera – the same camera Adoor Gopalkrishnan sir used to capture his film Swayamvaram,  and a film projector. 

One other detail that brought a smile to my lips was that each staff member’s room name was written on a clapperboard.

Awards & Photo Walls

Every wall of the building on the ground and first floors was turned into a photo point, with separate sections featuring National Award, State Award, and J.C. Daniel Award winners from the Malayalam Film Industry. 

Seeing Mammookka (Mammootty) and Lalettan (Mohanlal) featured in the National Film Award Best Actor section, along with the stills from their winning performances, sent a chill down my spine. Who can forget Mammookka in Oru Vadakkan Veeragadha, Mathilukal, Ponthan Mada, Vidheyan, and Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, or Lalettan in Bharatham and Vanaprastham?

Apart from the Best Actor or Actress sections, there were also areas dedicated to Best Debut Director, Best Director, Best Films, Best Technicians, and Best Critics. There were also ‘tribute’ sections, displaying photos and character stills of legendary actors like Prem Nazir sir and Sathyan Maashu and iconic filmmakers like John Abraham, Padmarajan, Bharathan, and Lohithadas. 

As a bookish person, I was elated to see homages to some of my favorite Malayalam writers. They were also renowned scriptwriters/ lyricists in Malayalam cinema, such as Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai, O.N.V. Kurup, Kavalam Narayana Panicker, Vayalar Ramavarma, and M. T. Vasudevan Nair.

The shelves on the ground floor also exhibited a few gold and silver medals of National Award winners, the Kerala State Film Award Sculptures, film magazines, and published works of various film personalities. 

A Fellow Dreamer

In the film Celluloid, there is a song that starts ‘Enundodi Ambili Chantham, Enundodi Thamara Chantham (Do I have the beauty of the moon? Do I have the beauty of the lotus?).’ I remember having goosebumps the first time I heard the song. 

Sithara Krishnakumar’s unique rendition, plus the raw portrayal of the joy and curiosity an amateur actress feels on landing her first gig in cinema, made it unforgettable. I bet any aspiring actor, filmmaker, or writer will be similarly motivated upon visiting the Chalachithra Academy and seeing these photo walls and awards. Just imagine yourself holding one of those awards or your work being featured on its prestigious walls.

I was not the only visitor that day. A bearded young guy in a black T-shirt was also exploring those photo walls, a few steps ahead of me. We never spoke. I just observed him from afar. But I wondered if he was a fellow dreamer on his own unique creative journey, too. I wondered what his aspirations and struggles were. 

Was he imagining his name on the walls of Kerala Chalachitra Academy and mentally lifting the State and National Film Awards too? Was he doubting his talent, too, or was he confidently and consistently working on his craft every day? I never found out. 

To be continued… 

You can read the second part of the blog here.

Author’s Notes

~ All content on this blog is the intellectual property of the author. © 2026 Lirio Marchito. All rights reserved.

~ This blog is part of a series exploring my travels through Trivandrum, the capital city of my home state, Kerala, in India. You can read more posts from this series here. Trivandrum | Kerala| India