Blood, Fire and Freedom: The Rise of the Rebel Yakshi

When I first heard “Dathe Neranthale” (ദാത്തേ നെറന്താളേ) from the movie Lokah: Chapter 1 — Chandra, I said to myself: this is not the Yakshi I grew up with. As a Keralite, I remember how in my childhood we often listened to stories of never-ending Yakshi tales. The iconic Yakshi in Malayalam cinema has always been portrayed as a tragic figure (spooky, sad, miserable) but this song was a completely different flavor. It was fierce, loud, and full of the energy of a warrior’s battle cry.

Malayalis sometimes refer to “Puthumazhayayi Vannu Nee” from the film Akashaganga as the “national anthem of yakshis,” since it melancholically portrays a young woman’s untimely death and her spirit’s roaming as a result of unfulfilled love.

Manichitrathazhu gives voice to Nagavalli, whose passion and betrayal make her a vengeful ghost, through “Oru Murai Vanthu Parthaya.” These melancholy songs, together with the eerie background music, continuously depicted the Yakshi as victims of their situation. Her magical powers were inseparable from her grief.

“Thani Lokah Murakkaari” by Lokha deviates from this tradition. This song, written by Mu.Ri, composed by Jakes Bejoy, sung with raw energy by Jyoti Nooran, and sharpened by Reble’s rap, reimagines the Yakshi as a force of strength rather than a ghost. Defiance and unity are declared in the song’s lyrics, “കൊടി നീ നട്ടാ പിളന്നലോകമൊന്നായേ… (When you planted the flag, the divided world became one). Instead of searching for solutions, this Yakshi is leading a movement.

Even more obvious is the shift in Reble’s stanza, “ Break that border Take no orders.” She asserts her authority without apologizing, declaring, “ I’m no Goddess, without bringing the terror Go getters, the bold better be mirrored Lights out, we bring in the shivers”. The song is more suited for a war than a haunting because of its thunderous rhythms and symphonic power.

This new Yakshi appears out of rebellion rather than melancholy. She stands up for herself and her people. She is firmly in the realm of liberation and resistance after being reminded that “Freedom ain’t free.” She is a symbol of unification rather than sorrow.