Indeevar Kalidas2025
In Divine Paradox, I explore the haunting contradiction at the heart of Theyyam, a ritual from Kerala where men from marginalised castes are worshipped as gods for a few sacred hours, only to return to lives of social invisibility. Built from extensive field research, interviews, and on-site documentation, the project follows a fictional performer, Gopi, whose story is shaped by real testimonies.
The experience unfolds through two acts- childhood and adulthood- within an immersive VR environment set inside a 3D-modeled temple. The character design merges myth and reality: human vulnerability, black skin symbolic of caste perception, and a glowing golden bangle representing both honour and inherited burden. Surrounding him is a fair-skinned audience, symbolising caste privilege and distance.
The project includes a short documentary, VR narrative (developed in Unreal Engine), and a photographic series—inviting viewers to not only witness the ritual, but to embody the paradox of being both divine and untouchable.
