Looped up Time, Locked up Memories: Kishkindha Kaandam and The Persistence of Memory

Dr. Deepa Prasad L

doi:10.22161/ijllc.5.3.12

Indexing and Abstracting

Looped up Time, Locked up Memories: Kishkindha Kaandam and The Persistence of Memory

Dr. Deepa Prasad L

International Journal of Language, Literature and Culture (IJLLC), Vol-5,Issue-3, May - June 2025, Pages 82-87, 10.22161/ijllc.5.3.12

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Article Info: Received: 30 Apr 2025, Received in revised form: 26 May 2025, Accepted: 01 Jun 2025, Available online: 06 Jun 2025

Abstract:

Time, memory, perception and experience are concepts that are more abstract than can be understood to be defined concretely. Science, Art and Literature have always tried in their own ways to unravel the complex interrelationship between these. Kishkindha Kaandam is a Malayalam film released in 2024, which depicts the struggles of a family coming to terms with a tragedy in the past. The second wife of the son in the family starts stirring up old memories and associated mysteries in the old house. As the aged father struggles to anchor himself in the present amidst losing his memory, the narrative unfolds slowly, and the audience, accompanied by Aparna, the second wife of Ajayan, travels along the time loops of Appu Pillai, Ajayan’s father who is losing his memory. The Persistence of Memory (1931) is a famous Surrealistic painting by the great Spanish artist, Salvador Dali, and is considered the epitome of Surrealism in art. Also known as Soft Watches or Melting Clocks, the painting is, by general consent, an exploration of human experience, memory and time. These are the common themes explored in Kishkindha Kaandam also. This paper is an attempt at a cross-generic analysis, to look at how the treatment of Time and memory in Kishkindha Kaandam can be compared to Dali’s treatment of memory and Time in his painting, The Persistence of Memory

Keywords:

Cross-genric, Kishkindha Kaandam, Memory, The Persistence of Memory.

References:

[1] P. Kelley, M D R Evans and J Kelley. (2018). “Making Memories: Why Time Matters”
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/human-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnhum. 2018.00400 /full. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience Volume 12 https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2018.00400.
[2] R. Lanza. “How Our Memories Hold the Key to Time”. (2021).
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/biocentrism/202111/how-our-memories-hold-the-key-time.
[3] N. Author. “The Persistence of Memory and Salvador Dalí’s Contribution to Surrealism”. (2019).
https://www.singulart.com/blog/en/2019/09/10/the-persistence-of-memory-and-salvator-dalis-contribution-to-surrealism/?srsltid=AfmBOooXZXT9fBhjJjl7G1F asAqsg-Gdc1Suj45iHcHjXU-MizpU9HxG.
[4] N. Author. “Surreal Time: The Significance of Salvador Dali’s Melting Clocks”. (2023).
https://papersowl.com/examples/surreal-time-the-significance-of-salvador-dalis-melting-clocks/
[5] A. Olagunju. “Cells Deep in Your Brain Place Time Stamps on Memories” (2021).
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/cells-deep-in-your-brain-place-time-stamps-on-memories/ .
[6] B. Rangan. “Dinjith Ayyathan’s ‘Kishkindha Kaandam’ is a Superb Mystery that’s
also a Superb Existential Drama”. (2024). https://baradwajrangan.wordpress.com/2024/09/ 16/dinjith-ayyathans-kishkindha-kaandam-is-a-superb-mystery-thats-also-a-superb-existential-drama/.
[7] S. Teki, B-M Gu and W H Meck. “The Persistence of Memory: How the Brain
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Indexing and Abstracting

Looped up Time, Locked up Memories: Kishkindha Kaandam and The Persistence of Memory

Abstract:

Keywords:

References: