Kochi | Leading Malayalam newspaper Mathrubhumi has launched an Onam campaign that focuses on the values associated with the festival and the people who continue to uphold them through their work.
Titled 'Manassil Ennum Maveli' (The Spirit of Maveli Lives On), the campaign looks at how Keralam imagined in Maveli Nadu Vaneedum Kaalam (the time when King Mahabali's ideal kingdom flourished) has evolved over generations and how its values continue to find expression in the lives and work of people across the state, a company release said here.
The campaign features Padma Shri Meenakshi Amma, who has spent decades preserving the traditional martial art of Kalaripayattu; Padma Shri Kolakil Devaki Amma, known for her work in environmental conservation; Padma Shri Lakshmikutty, known for preserving and practising traditional herbal medicine; and Devan and Devika Chandrashekhar, whose work in technology focuses on developing solutions for Keralam's future.
The campaign focuses on their work and its impact, including passing on traditional knowledge, protecting ecosystems, preserving traditional practices and using technology and innovation to address contemporary challenges.
The campaign has been conceptualised by Maitri and will run across film, print, radio and digital platforms, it said. The films focus on the work and journeys of the people featured, while print and radio extend the campaign's central idea to a wider audience.
Speaking about the campaign, M V Shreyams Kumar, Managing Director, Mathrubhumi, said, "As a newspaper, our responsibility is not only to report the world as it is, but also to recognise those who are helping shape the world as it should be.
Through this campaign, we wanted to celebrate people whose work has quietly shaped Kerala through knowledge, craft and invention. It is their contribution and legacy that we wanted to bring to the fore."
Raju Menon, Managing Director, Maitri, said, "We wanted to move beyond the predictable visual language of Onam without moving away from what the festival stands for.
This gave us an opportunity to celebrate people whose work is shaping Kerala in meaningful ways." Miriam Paul, ACD, Maitri, said, "We are grateful to Mathrubhumi for the clear brief and the trust to take the idea forward. Mathrubhumi's understanding of Kerala and its people gave us the freedom to look beyond the familiar and tell stories that feel deeply rooted in the state."
