Look Khon

The sound of the Piphat ensemble plays a beautiful, melodious tune. Gumpun (Saran Sirilak), a young teenage boy, performs the movements of the Khon art exquisitely and gracefully. His gentle gestures capture the audience's attention, making them unable to look away. But who would know that this handsome boy's life... was not destined for... Khon, but his path was already drawn... he must be a Muay Thai champion only!!!
Over 10 years ago at Rajadamnern Boxing Stadium, Kumron (Winai Kraibutr) or "Payak Kumron," a rising Thai boxing star shining in the ring, intended to defeat his opponent for the Thailand championship belt, hoping it would be a prize for his youngest son who was about to be born soon. But despite fighting with a lion's heart, Kumron had to lose to his opponent because he was cheated in the ring. However, that wasn't as heartbreaking as being targeted for death by the boxing mafia, who were unsatisfied with Kumron's loss. Saithong (Tharinda Kannasoot), Kumron's beloved wife, shielded her husband from the bullets. In the moment of life and death, Saithong chose the life of her unborn child over her own, believing that one day Kumron would raise her son to be a good man just like the man she loved. Kumron promised his beloved wife and named this adorable little boy... "Gumpun" (Fist), a name of honor meant to fulfill his father's dream.
Gumpun grew up under Kumron's strict upbringing, paving the way for him to become a boxer, just as he was trying to mold Sungwean (Pichayadon Peungpun), his eldest son, who was stepping into the future of a boxer as Kumron hoped. Sungwean's boxing skills caught the eye of the Charoenchai boxing camp owned by Sia Ah (Sattawat Dullayawijit). Moreover, Sungwean fell for Liu (Kanya Rattanapetch), Sia Ah's spoiled daughter, and Sia Ah didn't forbid them from dating because he wanted a skilled boy like Sungwean in his camp. Kumron respected Sia Ah like an older brother and often hung out as a sparring partner for the boxers, because currently Kumron's main profession was driving a taxi, not boxing, as the bullet from the past left him with a limp. Kumron was proud that he could mold Sungwean the way he wanted, so he thought Gumpun would be easy to mold too. But little did he know that every day after Kumron drove Gumpun to study auto mechanics at a vocational school famous for boxing, the motorcycle of Rumthai (Pimchanok Luevisadpaibul), a cute but spunky girl from a dramatic arts school, would be waiting with the engine running to pick Gumpun up so he could skip boxing club practice, taking him to practice Khon at Ban Sinthai regularly.
Rumthai is the only daughter of Sinthai (Kriangkrai Ounhanun) or Kru Sin, a former Khon teacher in the Fine Arts Department, who used to be a strict aristocrat. But today, the only two treasures he has left are a beautiful riverside traditional Thai house that many brokers are eyeing, and the art of Khon dance that Kru Sin intends to pass on to the new generation. He opened his house to teach Khon to local kids to use their free time usefully. Kru Sin never thought about money and never charged for teaching. Even though every penny he earned from performing Khon shows at various events was spent on treating the cancer of Duangjai (Duangdao Jarujinda), Rumthai's mother, who was constantly in and out of the hospital, Kru Sin never gave up on the hardships. One phrase Kru Sin always told Rumthai and Gumpun was, "Even if we lose everything and the house is seized, I only ask that Khon lives on."
Gumpun believed in and loved the art of Khon dance as much as he loved Rumthai. The two young people tried to do everything to carry on Kru Sin's resolution. In their free time from Khon practice, the kids often went to earn extra money in the Khaosan Road area, with Choklom (Teerapat Yamsri), Gumpun's best friend, and Porjai (Sornsin Maneewan), Rumthai's best friend, helping to set up a stall. Rumthai sold miniature Khon masks as souvenirs, played the three-stringed fiddle for spare change, and sometimes danced at hotels, restaurants, and took jobs repairing and embroidering Thai traditional costumes with Porjai. Meanwhile, Gumpun sold boxing shorts to foreigners who liked Thai boxing. When foreigners were interested, he would show off Muay Thai moves with Choklom as his sparring partner. But the thing Gumpun did best was the Muay Thai Wai Kru dance, because Gumpun had practiced the basics of Khon dance from Kru Sin, making his Wai Kru movements graceful and beautiful. Many times, local thugs near Rumthai's house saw Gumpun walking with Rumthai and teased him about what kind of boxer's son learns Khon dance, calling him a ladyboy and constantly picking fights with them. When he lost his patience, Gumpun would use the boxing skills he learned from his father to beat the thugs until they scattered.
But Gumpun's secret couldn't be kept when Kumron asked Sia Ah to let Gumpun fight in the ring as an opening act for Sungwean's match. Gumpun didn't seem focused on fighting. When he faced his opponent, Gumpun only fought defensively, especially protecting his hands, which he cared for immensely. Kumron tried to tell his son to fight fully, but Gumpun disappointed his father with a loss, while Sungwean won his match honorably. Kumron started to suspect his son's behavior, remembering what many people had said that in the ring, Gumpun performed the Wai Kru dance better than actual fighting, making him look more like a traditional dancer than a boxer (or a ladyboy).
Kumron followed his son's behavior until he finally found the truth when he saw Gumpun skipping boxing practice to dance Khon at Kru Sin's house. Kumron was furious that Gumpun disobeyed his orders, relentlessly beating his son in front of Kru Sin and Kru Sin's sponsors—Auntie Saijai, Saisamorn, and Saipin—who loved and adored Gumpun. Everyone tried to stop and beg Kumron not to hit his child. The sponsors scolded Kumron severely, making Kumron leave in anger. Gumpun was sad for making his father angry, so he decided to bid farewell to Kru Sin and Rumthai, abandoning his dream of Khon dance to go back and make his father proud. Although Kru Sin regretted Gumpun's future in Khon dancing, because the skills Gumpun had practiced for years made him Kru Sin's hope, the duty of a grateful son made Kru Sin understand, letting Gumpun leave Khon and head to the Muay Thai ring. But Rumthai was hurt and cried at Gumpun because she thought Gumpun could do both well, since both Muay Thai and Khon are arts. But Gumpun didn't understand yet; right now, he had to choose his duty as a son first.
Gumpun secretly saw his father drinking and crying in front of his mother's picture. His father was sad that he couldn't keep the promise he made to his mother. Gumpun knew from his older brother that the day he was born was the same day his mother died. Gumpun pitied his father and felt guilty, so he carried a traditional offering tray to apologize to his father at the boxing ring, asking for forgiveness and promising his father that he would absolutely stop dancing Khon. From now on, he would be a boxer to repay his father's gratitude. When Gumpun made such a promise, Kumron forgave his son and made Gumpun train hard in boxing to follow in the footsteps of Sungwean, who was becoming a famous boxer.
Gumpun tried to train exactly as his father ordered; even if it hurt, he endured it. But Gumpun's heart still longed for Khon dance all the time. Many times he walked past Kru Sin's house and secretly watched Rumthai practicing dancing and playing the fiddle, but he didn't dare face Kru Sin and Rumthai, knowing he had disappointed Kru Sin. Until one day, Gumpun encountered debt collectors demanding money, but getting none, they took Thai musical instruments from the house to sell for money, because Kru Sin had mortgaged the house deed to them to get money for Auntie Duangjai's worsening medical treatment. Gumpun went to visit her at the hospital and found Kru Sin with Auntie Duangjai. Kru Sin forbade Gumpun from talking about mortgaging the traditional house and falling into debt. Duangjai was glad to see Gumpun and said that whenever she was discharged from the hospital, she would go watch Gumpun perform Khon on Father's Day. But Kru Sin had to tell Duangjai that Gumpun had quit dancing Khon. Duangjai was regretful but praised Gumpun for choosing to repay his father's gratitude. Rumthai saw Gumpun with her mother and was displeased. She followed and scolded Gumpun after he left the hospital. Rumthai didn't want Gumpun to mess with her family anymore, because now her family had no treasures left except the art of Khon dance that her father chose to preserve. Her father kept his word that he always said, "Even if we lose everything and the house is seized, I only ask that Khon lives on." Therefore, since Gumpun chose to throw away the Khon mask, he shouldn't come to see her face again.
Gumpun felt sad and kept Rumthai's words in his mind without telling his father, because his father was about to take him to a boxing match, pushing him to practice hard. When it was time to fight, Gumpun still performed a beautiful Wai Kru dance, with graceful movements mixed with Khon poses, such as the Rama shooting the arrow pose. Gumpun tried to fight exactly as his father said, but his opponent was much stronger than Kumron expected. Gumpun wanted to make his father proud, so he wasn't afraid of pain, trying his best to fight but getting hit by a storm of punches. Kumron pitied his son and told Gumpun he would throw in the towel, but Gumpun stopped his father and told him, "If I can't make you proud, I don't know why I was born as your son." Gumpun continued to advance and fight his opponent, but he was heavily hit by elbows and punches until he was battered. Nevertheless, Gumpun didn't retreat, continuing to use the Muay Thai techniques his father taught him to fight with all his might, until he finally defeated his opponent.
But even though Gumpun won, he was mocked. Kumron wasn't proud of the victory his son gave him, but instead scolded Gumpun for dancing in the ring until he looked more like a female dancer than a boxer, becoming a clown that made him lose face. Gumpun was sad that his father wasn't proud when he did everything for him. Gumpun accidentally raised his voice at his father in a fit of emotion, saying he wasn't the person who promised his mother, and if he could only do this much, his father should be happy with him. Kumron was angry that Gumpun brought this up, so he slapped his son's face hard. Hurt, Gumpun decided to take off his gloves, throw them away, and quit being a boxer and the son his father wanted.
Gumpun left home to live with Choklom. Gumpun secretly watched Kru Sin and Rumthai practice Khon at a rented house that the sponsors helped find. Rumthai tried to chase Gumpun away, but Kru Sin stopped her and allowed Gumpun to stay with them. Gumpun told Kru Sin he returned to fulfill the promise he made to Auntie Duangjai; he would perform Khon on Father's Day. Seeing Gumpun's determination, Kru Sin agreed to let Gumpun return to Khon dance again. Rumthai was secretly happy that Gumpun returned but still pretended to be sulky, keeping her guard up so she wouldn't lose face to Gumpun.
Kumron was still angry at Gumpun, stubbornly refusing to go after him, even telling everyone that Gumpun wasn't a boxer's son but a Khon's child. Kumron then turned his attention to Sungwean, who was stepping up to fight for the same championship belt that Kumron had missed out on in the past. Kumron was confident that Sungwean would redeem his honor. But when he went to cheer for his son, he found that Sungwean lost in a way that opposed the audience's eyes. Kumron pressed Sungwean because he didn't believe Sungwean would lose. Finally, Sungwean told his father the truth that he lost because Liu begged him to take money from Sia Ah to throw the fight. Even though he didn't want to do it, he had to give in because he pitied his father who was in debt to loan sharks, plus his father's trusty taxi broke down and was in the repair shop, and they had no money to pay for the repairs to get the car out, leaving his father with no income.
Kumron was heartbroken, unable to believe his son would sell the dignity he had always taught him. Kumron ordered Sungwean to return the money to Sia Ah. Sungwean refused, so Kumron snatched the money from him and went to Sia Ah himself. Kumron threw the money in Sia Ah's face and ordered him to stop messing with Sungwean. Sia Ah's gang was displeased, insulting Kumron as just a cripple with a ladyboy dancer son but wanting to mold a sissy boxer. Kumron lost his temper and fought them. Gumpun came to visit his father just as Sungwean was following to help him. The two brothers found their father being attacked by Sia Ah's men, so they went in to help. Sia Ah pulled out a gun to shoot Gumpun, but Kumron quickly jumped in to shield him from the bullet. Rumthai arrived with the police just in time. Sia Ah's gang was all arrested, but Kumron's condition wasn't good, and he was sent to the hospital.
Kumron narrowly survived because Gumpun brought his father to the hospital in time. Sungwean came to kneel and apologize to his father for disappointing him, promising he would never sell his dignity again. Gumpun secretly watched his father and brother, not wanting to go in because he knew he was a son who had never made his father proud, deciding to walk away alone. But as Gumpun was turning back, his father turned and saw him, shouting at him, "You're a Khon kid, why did you come back? There are only boxers' kids here." Heartbroken and with tears streaming down his face, Gumpun told his father, "If I could choose, I just want to be a son who makes you proud."
Gumpun went to see Rumthai and Kru Sin but found out that Auntie Duangjai's condition was worsening. Everyone at the Khon house went to see her together. Duangjai said she regretted not having the chance to see Rumthai and Gumpun perform Khon on Father's Day, but she was glad that in the end, Gumpun came back to help Kru Sin carry on the art of Khon. Duangjai knew about Kru Sin mortgaging the house from overhearing Rumthai talking to the 3 sponsors, who helped gather money to extend the payment deadline for another month before December, which was when Kru Sin's Khon troupe would perform on Father's Day. From that event, Kru Sin would get enough money to pay off the house debt, allowing them to keep the traditional house. There was no need to use the money to treat her, because her life wasn't worth losing the art of Khon, everyone's precious treasure. Rumthai and Gumpun decided to take Duangjai out to the hospital courtyard and performed Khon for her so she could pass away peacefully.
Finally, the Khon performance on Father's Day arrived. Before the show started, Gumpun stopped by his house to ask his father to watch his performance, but he found the house quiet and empty. Gumpun thought his father didn't care to watch him, making him feel sad that he was just a son who couldn't make his father proud.
Gumpun returned to the stage where everyone was preparing. But just minutes before the show started, Kumron and Sungwean arrived to see Gumpun. Kumron asked Kru Sin for permission to be the one to place the Chada (headdress for Phra Ram) on Gumpun before he went on stage. Overwhelmed with emotion, Gumpun knelt at his father's feet and confessed his inner feelings that all along he wanted to make his father proud, always thinking that if his mother hadn't chosen to let him live, his father would have been happy with his mother. Kumron choked up at his son's pure thoughts, tears streaming down. He told Gumpun that he made him realize, "Muay Thai has the duty to protect the nation and the land, Khon helps serve as the face of Thai culture. In times of peace, we are graceful; in times of invasion, we have Muay Thai to protect us." What Gumpun was doing was his father's greatest pride. Kumron placed the Chada on Gumpun and sat down to watch the best Khon performance of his life, which his son performed in front of the Royal Portrait. Everyone's smiles were filled with overwhelming joy.
Follow the drama "Look Khon" (The Khon Dancer) every Monday - Sunday at 18:45 on Royal Thai Army Television Channel 7. The drama premieres on Thursday, November 25, 2010.