Fatima Sana Shaikh in Kerala: There’s a real sense of artistic inclination and culture in Kerala'There’s a real sense of artistic inclination and culture here

Bollywood actress Fatima Sana Shaikh recently spent 15 days at Natana Kairali, the traditional performing arts centre in Irinjalakuda, Kerala, run by acclaimed Koodiyattam and Kathakali exponent G Venu.

The actress, who immersed herself in a training programme rooted in the Natyashastra and Kerala's classical performance traditions, returned with fond memories of actor training, home-cooked meals, theatre visits and even a rescued puppy she named Pappadam.'A meditative and unique experience'It was my first time in Kerala, and I began my trip in a very non-touristy part of the state. I’d come for an immersive actor-training process rooted in the Natyashastra and traditional Kerala performances.

The work is centred around the nine rasas (emotions), but not in a performative way. We worked with these rasas every day, and over time, it becomes less about “doing” and more about just sitting with them and observing what they do to you.

It was a very meditative and quite a unique experience.In Irinjalakuda, we mostly walked everywhere, so after a few days, it started feeling quite familiar — almost like home. We would go to the same chai place before class every day, which became a small ritual in itself.

There were also a couple of cafés I really enjoyed going to. The people everywhere were very kind and helpful. It was a very simple, warm, and grounding experience overall.‘I ate simple, delicious, home-cooked food’I loved the food there! In Irinjalakuda, we had a tiffin service and got home-cooked meals from an aunty. That was probably one of my favourite parts because I got to eat really simple, delicious home-cooked food throughout my stay.

I especially enjoyed the sadya-style meals. The combination of rice, vegetables, curries, and pickles somehow felt comforting and different every time.‘There is a beautiful balance in life here’The people were very gentle. What I noticed is that there’s a real sense of artistic inclination and culture in everyday life. There’s also a quiet ambition — a desire to really excel at what they are doing.Usually when you travel, the rhythm feels either very fast or very slow.

But here I felt a beautiful balance between the two. There’s ease, but also discipline. People let you into their lives and homes in a very trusting way, and that felt truly beautiful.‘Malayalam films have strong, layered female characters’I’ve watched a few Malayalam films over time, but this trip made me want to watch more. There’s a very natural rhythm and honesty in Malayalam cinema that I’ve always loved. I really admire how authentic the storytelling feels.

I also feel the audience here doesn’t accept mediocrity, and that pushes you as a creative person to constantly raise your own standards and do better work. I would genuinely love to be a part of Malayalam cinema some day.

I feel they write such strong, layered female characters, and as an actor that’s incredibly exciting.‘I rescued a puppy adopted and named him Pappadam’One of the nicest things that happened on the trip was that we rescued a puppy and managed to get him adopted within two days.

I named him Pappadam! I was genuinely amazed by how prompt and responsive the animal welfare community was there.Cinema halls, beaches and tapioca chipsOne of my favourite experiences was watching a film in a local theatre. I loved how completely invested the audience was in what was happening on screen. Before I knew it, I was hooting and cheering along with them whenever something exciting happened. Apart from that, I spent time walking along the beach, eating tapioca chips from roadside stalls and simply sitting around enjoying the rain. Those are some of the moments that have stayed with me.After the programme, I spent a few days in Kochi and stayed in Fort Kochi. I did all the touristy things, wandered through the old streets, explored the cafés and soaked in the atmosphere. That was a lot of fun, too.