A visit to Trichur would be incomplete sans a stopover at the Sakthan Thampuran Palace, says SONA.K.R, Curator of the Archeological Museum, Sakthan Palace . A protected monument for its stylistic importance and a cache of rare antiquities the Palace tells a lot to the visitors about a rich heritage once we had.

Once again Trichur hosted the whole world with ‘the most enchanting sight of the globe’ Thrissur Pooram..

Never deviated from the conventional and customized ways and careful observance of time schedules when the pooram blooms,  Trichur bows before its mighty architect Sakthan Thampuran . Had such a powerful ruler not there, perhaps Trichur might not find a niche in the world tourism chart.

The city of Trichur always amazes and lures each visitor, by hiding something bizarre and cooling inside its weird pockets. Like the placid Vadakkunnathan temple at the geographic centre of the commercial metro, Trichur owns a lot more unexpected sights and feels in its cache – Sakthan Thampuran palace, now revived and preserved by the Archeological Department is such a haven amidst the stifling schedules of the daily run.

Sakthan – the visionary

The Swaraj Round

Sakthan Thampuran is the first person who foresaw the umpteen untapped potentials of Thrissur which was the old sod of wilderness and miscreants then. It made the pragmatic visionary to transfer the capital of the Kochi dynasty from Thrippunithura to Trichur.

To make the place more commercially accessible he ordered to clear the 60 acre Teak Forest around the Vadakkunnatha Temple. He was even dared to chop the head of the oracle who surged and spurted against this move proclaiming the woods as the ‘jada’ (scalp hair) of Lord Siva, though  Sakthan himself was an ardent devotee of Lord Siva.

After clearing the ground he made a circular concrete way around it, the Swaraj Round. This road has been structured with such a long vision that nobody can pass through the city without perambulating Sri Vadakkunnathan by this road.

Thrissur Pooram is also the brain child of that farsighted ruler. To deploy the whole natives of Thrissur under one parasol of unity he recreated the festival challenging the Yogathiri rule and the adamancy of the neighbouring locales. Now, as he documented, Thrissur Pooram signifies a miniature succor to the multi-cultural and multi-linguistic embarrassments of the nation. Thrissur Pooram has been parading through the tracks and slots marked and designed by SakthanThampuran without a slight deviation since its origin.

The Royal Palace witnessed the rehearsal of the Pooram as Kolothumpooram’.  Now the custom has shrunk to sample vedikkettu, that observes two days prior to Pooram.

Along with the ‘ezhunnellippu’ from the Royal Palace, the King also would join the procession and sitting under the Ilanji tree at the inner premises of the Vadakkunnatha Temple he enjoyed the orchestra (ilanjithara melam) there. By completing its high notes through the 72 melakartha ragas, now when the world bosoms it as the pinnacle of temple orchestra, it becomes the pride of each Trichurian.

Economy

Tipu's Flag staff

Himself a man interested in agriculture, the King encouraged farming and the trade of farm products and Pooram happened to be the best market of the season. By country boats and bullock-carts traders plied with commodities along and around Kochi province for the Pooram sale.

Trichur homes many leading entrepreneurs, financial and commercial institutions thanks to the farsighted king who invited and accommodated the Syrian Christians and Tamil Brahmins who made the city flourish with internal and global trades.

The Warrior King

Sakthan literally means mighty and the King lived it unto its full means as well.  Unlike other Kings of the time, Sakthan used to roam around his province alone, deliberately avoiding the extravaganza of a retinue to know the pulse of his country.During Tipu Sultan’s military exploits (padayottam) marring the valour and self esteem of the Indians, Sakthan Thampuran was there to fight against his molestation. However, at the expense of his man and arm power, Tipu could break in to the Palace and transgressing all the Hindu customs he lived a short but profligate life in this Palace.

As the symbol of this wrested atrocity, one can see the flag mast of the Sultan at the entrance of the Palace.  Demolishing the mighty fort and the deep trench around, Tipu entered the palace and in that Aceldama, he lost his buddy horse and history says that incident made the Sultan depressed a lot. His flag staff stands erect at the place where the mighty fort stood upright once.

Near to this we can see the flag mast of the Kochi province. It was upon this staff the golden coloured flag of the princely State fluttered with the motto of the province embroidered as ‘Honour is our Family Treasure’.

Archeological ways

At the time of the formation of Kerala State the Palace along with its custodial properties was managed under Palace Administration Board. But certain family members rented this property to some educational and business institutions like casting pearls before swine. Vandalism mirrored everywhere in the 6 acre campus, hooligans roamed around the Indo-Dutch architectural beauty for a long time.

In a mission to revive and preserve heritage properties, the Archeological Department reached here with a radical departure to rescue it from a total destruction.

To get back the property from the then owners, the Department had to die hard and however, the fights came to an end in 1993 when the Government appropriated it with a fancy price. Thenceforth began the revival and

Resurrection -- the Archeological way

renovation works on the palace with utmost care and study, to reinstate the lost antiquity and glory so as to pass it on to generations for a self-realisation and pride over our heritage. It took more than 10 years for these tiresome endeavors to put back the relics as we see today.

Now Sakthan Thampuran Palace has got a niche in the Indian Heritage properties and its upright doorways are opened to the visitors.  Many visitors come here every day and get amazed at the vast repertoire of the historical and heritage museum inside the palace.

Palace – historical monument

Palace, also known as Vadakkechira Kovialakam  is a figurative testimonial of Kerala Architecture. Its particular Naalukettu style renders nostalgic feels of a bygone golden era of joint-family system where the generations grew fondled with love and freedom in rich.

The palace has a rectangular structure where four halls are joined together with a central open courtyard.   The King worshipped their kudumbadevatha (family deity), Sri Pazhayannur Bhagavathy installed in the open courtyard.

16 wooden pillars with artistic carvings of elephants and other traditional Vasthu etchings render a majestic feel to the visitor who comes in. The structure of naalukettu, oottupura (dining hall), ural pura(work area), kitchen etc strictly observe the Science of  Vasthu. The highlights of the Sakthan Thampuran Palace are its high roofs, extra thick walls, spacious rooms and floors paved with finely smoothened Italian marbles.

Vadakke Chira

But Sakthan Thampuran altered this structure a little by adding some Dutch architecture to the Palace. Thus this Palace became one of the Indo-Dutch Architectural monuments.  By replacing the poomukham and padippura with arch-vaults and porticos it invokes a Dutch touch. But the extra wide doors and windows and the imported floor tiles make one really agape. This brings in cool air even in the scorching summer to the Palace.

Restoration

The vast premise of the Palace was once an endless yard of the King who loved agriculture. Most of his backyard was rich with different varieties of mango, jackfruit, banana and guava trees. Western side of the palace was endless paddy fields and the people reverently called it ‘kolothumpadam’ (paddy field of the Royals). Even though the place still carries the same name, we cannot find any tint of a green field there except the piled up concrete forts.

Sakthan’s  Mango-yard where all the varieties of the mango trees bloomed and fruited and his horse-stable where the air resonated with the sound of hooves has changed to Indoor Stadium.

While taking over the royal property what left with the Archeological department is only 6 acres of land around the Palace. As the result of their passionate endeavor everything the King owned at this 6 acre land started to breathe again. The sarpakkavu (Serpent grove) on the southern side of the Palace is still there under an Ezhilampaala tree of more than 400 years old. Big serpents stride over their own premise undisturbed. Visitors are not allowed to enter into it.

This sarpakavu is preserved in the Heritage Garden created by the Archeological Department.  Heritage Garden has been set up using only those plants and trees which grows in the natural atmosphere of the mid-Kerala. A cross-section of almost all kinds of the indigenous medicinal plants can be seen here. At another point a Butterfly Garden has been set up, where we can spot almost all varieties of butterflies. Massive collection of different hibiscus plants commemorates Sakthan’s blooming garden. Vadakke chira, the pond used by the Royal family hems the garden now. Different types of migratory birds come for a short stay here. From November-February, the palace and the pond would abuzz with migratory birds. Tombs of Sakthan and and another King of Kochi are kept undisturbed here. Tomb of a Zamorin who had a reign over here once, is also seen.

Museum

Several preserved materials relating to the erstwhile Kochi rulers are kept in the museum inside the palace.  It owns the largest collection of the excavated megalithic materials in Kerala. It also houses a number of galleries like Bronze gallery where we can see bronze statues dating back to 12^th and 18^th centuries, a Sculpture Gallery showcasing granite structures from 9th century and an Epigraphy Gallery exhibiting the genesis and evolution of writing.

Royal sleep

Also there displays a gallery of nostalgic pieces containing household utensils made of copper and bronze used by the Royal family. A Numismatics gallery is also in store luring the new generation to a euphonic past of tintinnabulation.

A visit to Trichur thus becomes incomplete without a visit to Sakthan Thampuran Palace, thanks to the ardent endeavor of the Archeological Department.

Josna.P.Joy, the record holder and Individual Champion of Senior Women Swimmers talks to MAYA KRISHNAN of the thick and thin splashes in the Indian Aquatics.

Kids from far and wide along with their dabbling moms toed the line with giggles along that blue-tiled swimming pool.  They were there to swim across the two-month summer vacation counting down in delight, leaving the kids in safe as well as sportive space. Amidst all the razzmatazz stood Josna with a wide smile making one think of the news reporter’s spelling  error Jolsna (meaning moonlight), something factual. With much affection and patience, she approaches each kid, sweeping his/her fear for water away, by simply sinking into the pool, holding the kid many a time until he/she tries a hand own.

Water-babe

Josna P. Joy, the water-babe from the banks of Meenachil river, in Aymananm village has been known to the Keralites, even before ‘God of Small Things’ turned the world to this lush village. It was in 2003, she made headlines by swimming across the Vembanad Lake, the longest lake in India, along with her two sisters. Then she was so small to realize the greatness of the mission she has undertaken. Now with the moonlit smile she would say, ‘Yes, for the last 5 years, I have been keeping the crown of the national champion in Indian Aquatics meets’.

After winning several titles in school, university and state levels now she is thirsty to conquer herself and this makes the driving force for this young girl to swim forward.

“It is to my father Polakkadu M.V.Joy,I render all my accolades as he is my first guru in this field.  Himself a university aquatics champion, Papa made us three sisters to get in with the Meenachil River which flows through our village. Inside his arms I learned the alphabets and tactics of swimming at the age of 2”, says Josna.P.Joy .

So from the sub junior level onwards she started to bring laurels to her school and spotting the unique talent inside this tender girl, her father took her to SAI (Sports Authority of India), Trichur. The methodological coaching at SAI under the stalwart coach C.P.K.Mathew groomed a star in Kerala Aquatics and she started setting the pools ablaze wherever she went. It was the rise of  a new aquatic star Josna.P.Joy, a contribution from Kerala to the nation.

But her accolades credited to the cache of Trichur and Calicut University  in all the five categories (100m,200 m,400m,600m, 1500m Free Style) in which she has participated in the State junior and Senior Championships. Until wearing the jersey of Kerala, Josna says she couldn’t represent her own village ever. A precocious swimmer Josna loves Butterfly Style most but excels in any form of water-sport and makes one call each of her feat, a classic one.

Women  drop-outs

In the long run of Aquatic competitions,  Josna.P. Joy has been crowned with Individual championship 5 times consecutively. At a time when the drop-out rate of women swimmers especially in the senior category is alarmingly increasing, Josna still glues to her childhood passion with water, unaltered.

water nymphs...Josna with her sisters

Concentrating more own studies and many other baseless reasons can underscore the naïve explanations for these vanishings. Even though much thrilled about the umpteen achievements she never inhibits to reveal her annoyance towards the step-motherly attitude of the government and sports authorities towards Aquatics.

“Swimmers seldom get job opportunities in dignified government services like Railways or Police force. When cricketers and other sports stars get massive recognition and support, we are being neglected deliberately. You can see the clear-cut gender discrimination in our case. Even when the male swimmers enjoy the celeb life of sports stars at various such Government departments inclusive of KSEB, we, the women swimmers get an appointment once in a blue moon, after a long awaiting, that too only in the Secretariat where we won’t get any bond and if we want to participate in a competition we have to represent Kerala State alone.”, rues Josna, though with the in-built smile.

‘I love to be a coach’

Swimming has now gone hi-tech with pompous pools like that of the Basavangudi Aquatic Club at Bangalore, Otters Club at Mumbai etc rendering scientific coaching, while Kerala, the land of rivers still relies on its reminiscent little water resources. The kids come from its background often fall back when they have to lock horns with the hi-techs at the State and National level competitions.

‘This also brings one’s spirits down’, Opines Josna who have traveled amply across the nation for many aquatic meets resurrecting from the village scenario against all the odds.

Legends say those who get ‘neelakoduveli’(a medicinal flower ) from Meenachil River in the month of Karkkidakam would ensure rich harvest. Josna must have pruned it with her tender hands when she was trying to beat the whirlpools of the tributary. However, never wasting time waiting for the Godot, she splashed into her track of dreams to become a good Swimming Coach.

Vembanadu Lake

“It is my ambition to become a Coach who is capable of inspiring as well as grooming the rising stars in this field. So I am contented with what I have now.”, she said looking on to the diving children inside the pool. “For the last 4 years I have been coaching children and of course their moms in swimming which now have acquired the pose of a Women Empowerment Project in the milieu of frequent Tsunami threats..and obviously as the best exercise one can have amidst a gadget-junky life.”

While talking on Josna suddenly leapt into the deep pool and vanished for a while. For some solid moments  the water was calm and at another point of the pool she came up like a diving eel lifting a 10 year old girl who while swimming got cramped her thigh muscles. After consoling her with more than 10 drowns and ups wearing the same smile Josna jumped on to the floor and continued.

“This is common while swimming. But to train them to be professionals I need an NIS certificate from Bangalore.”

But she sighed she can get it even though she got a late appointment in the Secretariat only to swim without bonds. But she says she enjoys the job of the swimming coach at Rajagiri School Kalamassery, thanks to the new curriculum amendment which precisely spots swimming as a part of education.

A PG student of Economics at Vimala College, Trichur, she continues her profession a passion thanking the never-ending co-operation of the college authorities. Unlike many disheartened talents waiting to be spotted, like a diving swan she vanished once again into the blue pool only to rise up with the giggles of her tiny tots who fuel her ambitions.

ANJALY. C. in conversation with acclaimed Maddalam maestro Thrikkur Rajan

Thrikkur village is famous across the State for two reasons probably with a single dimension – the Rock Cave temple of Lord Siva and the irrefutable percussionist Thrikkur Rajan who lives unto to the culmination of a Devavaadyam (divine music) on his Maddalam, an instrument that symbolize the  Siva-Sakthi  cult. When Thrikkur Rajan strikes at the right and left ends of his beloved Maddalam, we see every being in the festival ground  quiver in tune with those rhythmic notes as if in the eternal union of universal creation.

Rainy notes of a vocal ‘malahari’ guided us to the Maddalam exponent’s home, far from the bus stop near the Thrikkur  Mahadeva temple. Sitting among the loads of mementos and accolades the legendary helmsman recollected his memoirs of a hard-core practice in his childhood which made the maestro of today.

“I started learning Maddalam at a tender age. Along with my brother Unnikrishnan we had our arangettam at Thrikkur Mahadeva temple. Our Guru was none other than our father.”

“We used to perform in most of the temple festivals with our father. Earlier, Maddalam was a mere ‘one- among- the- five’ in Panchavaadyam. Since the growth of Panchavaadyam to a 3-4 hour liturgical symphony harmonizing individual creativity, it has attracted many leading artists in other instruments. Thus Maddalam artists also got the ace in festivals.”, Rajan recollected the reformation of a sovereign Panchavaadyam.

“By the way, my brother got a better opportunity in government service and put his part upon my shoulders he left for Delhi.”, commented  Rajan who has been donning the role of the helmsman of Paramekkavu sector in Thrissur Pooram for the last 17 years.

Meanwhile his daughter Suma, a music teacher came down after the class with a group of young students.

Guru -cult

“Now, nobody is bothered of the values of learning an art form.  Young generation learns it just for performing in youth festivals and thereby getting grades.” Remarked Suma and Rajan nodded in consent.

“Earlier Guru-Sishya relationship was divine and healthy. Now it has reduced to just a friendship with the ‘use and throw’ drift.”, he added.

A man of improvisation, Thrikkur Rajan used to render his own inputs during his performance.  Aesthetic world has recognized his ‘mischief’ as enhancing the beauty of Panchavaadyam which reckons for its strict discipline and harmony.

“Never count it as a denial of our Guru who paved a way for us to this art. Whenever I input my own improvisation I understand the multiplying splendor the whole symphony acquires. It only rejoices my guru and of course the audience.”, observed Rajan of his inimitable style of performance.

In 2008, Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademy honored Thrikkur Rajan with a Fellowship.  Along with the torrents of recognitions, he has been selected for the prestigious Poomulli Aaraam Thampuran Award, recently.  A.S.N.Nambeesan, former Vice-Chairman of Kerala Kalamandalam addresses him as the ‘Rajahamsam of Panchavadyam’ regarding his commanding strokes and matchless fingering.

Helmsman

Scholars are of the opinion that a conscious effort alone would not result in a beautiful rendering in thimila and maddalam while exploring swara structure. It needs an exceptional flexibility for the artist’s palms. Like Pallavur Maniyan Marar in thimila, Thrikkur Rajan is blessed with this flexibility which creates gorgeous rhythmic notes out of his Maddalam.

Like that, Thrikkur Rajan’s noted feature is his amazing ability to sway over rhythms and tempo using palms on both the sides, often inter-changing the fingering.  Health and stamina of the body has nothing to do here. It is an unusual capacity of the performer to bring in all his energy into the palms in order to produce such unique sound effects. He knows it subconsciously where to strike and how to harmonize both the sides.

Presence-of-mind to improvise the rendering and massive inputs out of imagination keep Thrikkur Rajan abreast of his contemporaries. Often he makes us spell-bound with his unconventional stance by bringing in novel experiments especially in pathikaalam (base),thripuda (3^rd stage) and in thaniaavarthanam (repetitions) . His style may not be of a maverick, but what he has done contributes a lot to those who desire to improvise their rhythmic notes.

Not only at the festival grounds, but in the wide-spread ritualistic South-Indian percussion ensembles Thrikkur Rajan is a helmsman under whom the debutants can line up confidently.

Flexible in ensemble and improvisation, Thrikkur Rajan is but adamant in using his own instrument wherever he performs. “I insist an error-free rendering of the concert so at any cost I won’t compromise on the quality of the instrument to subside the quality of the exposition.”, states Rajan.

Lineage

If asked about his diligence in this 60 plus he would reply with a smile, “It is nothing but the hardcore training I got at a tender age. My father, my guru was very strict and I never missed my sadhaka (daily practice) ever. Still it continues.”

“Now everything has got a sea-change.”, continued Rajan. “Earlier, Maddalam performance was a hereditary right for the Marar families in Kerala. Now who comes from this community to take over this as a right other than a job..? I think it is coming to the verge of extinction if it is counted on a lineage basis.”

“Makers of the instrument also rope into some other’s shoes. It was the right of the Kadaya community to make Maddalam. They were so skilled that just by striking the wood after it has been hollowed, they can tell which part is needed to produce good tonal quality.”, said an evocative Rajan.

Rhythm is a hereditary element in his family. His paternal uncle Kizhiyedathu Raman Marar was a Thimila exponent. In Chenda also he was equally at home.

Thrikkur Rajan learned the alphabets of Maddalam from his father. “My father had 62 students then”, says Rajan. But Rajan never tried the coat of a guru even though his villagers address him with reverence ‘Aasaan’(great teacher). If asked, he would say, “I don’t think I have that much potential to decant to the coming generation.”

GREESHMA VINCENT talks about the episode of a chatting session with M.Mukundan the Chronicler of Mayyazhi, staged at the venue of a literary celebration where he opened up to a flock of new-genre writers.

“Although such workshops contribute something to the goal, often it deviates from its track to mere festivities. Writers are not supposed to be ‘on-the-dais’ but they are badly in need of those who are ‘off-the dais’.” affirmed M.Mukundan through the rhapsodies of a pompous ‘Vaikhari’, a 5-day long event conducted ‘to revive interest in literature among college students’.

Renovation

To the amazement of a group of young aspirants, the story-teller of Mayyazhi whose existential novels once said to be heralded an era of anarchy, greeted them with a serene smile. In a soft gentle voice he interacted with the novices, often searching for his companion V.R.Sudheesh, who was patiently waiting outside.

“Good works of art can be sprung from an orderly life too.  I am experimenting on it now, like the exact reverse of what I have been doing since my writing career.” He kick started the session with a simple thud upon the subconscious notion of the wannabe ones.

Underlining what V.R.Sudheesh told about him as a ‘writer who constantly re-invents himself’, he continued.

“I like to bring in renovations and innovations in the theme, form and style in my writings. I need to re-invent and update myself in order not to be died out in the deluge of e-writing. I never blamed or afraid of the new writers or their styles. Why should I fear when I own a space here..?”,asks a confident Mukundan.

“In the present trend of Malayalam literature, I find the language becomes heavier with excessive use of alien elements. It becomes difficult for the common man to comprehend with. Substantially, it never reaches the readers..”

“But it doesn’t mean there are no good writers in Malayalam. With the emergence of social networking sites a lot of people get a platform to showcase their talents.  They do read a lot and of course write too in good language.”, replied Mukundan for a query on newcomers.

An ultimate  writer

“There is a tendency to figure out a writer’s persona on the basis of his character sketches. This may not be true often. However, my personal experience out of my extensive travels and umpteen acquaintances might have influenced me to plot a story.” He retorted to a question on his short story ‘Delhi 1981’.

“France is a country which upholds human values at high and its language too carry the shades of its rich heritage. My childhood memoirs revolve around Mahe, the then French territory. So the influence of French comes subconsciously into my writings..,”, observes Mukundan who has received the prestigious Chevelier des Arts et des Letters from the French government.  His magnum opus ‘Mayyazhippuzhayude theerangalil’ (On the banks of Mayyazhi) has not only revered by generations but also brought him an award for the best novel that has published in a span of 25 years. As its sequel when ‘Daivathinte Vikruthikal’ (God’s mischief) came out, Malayalee was once again feeling the subtle and divine bond of man with his native land beyond boarders.

When Daivathinte Vikruthikal was screened Mukundan himself penned the script. Even though it fetched him the Sate award for the best scenarist he says script-writing never gives him a writer’s content as it being more technical than creative.

“In my writings you may find the influence of Dostoevsky and Vaikom Mohammed Basheer because I adore them immensely. But I never tried to emulate them as such.”, Mukundan elucidates of his inspiration .

Can we expect another classic like Mayyazhi…?

“I believe that such classics happen only once in a life. See, we got only one ‘Naalukettu’ from M.T., only one ‘Khasaakinte ithihasam’ from O.V.Vijayan. Heard that Mr.Vijayan had tried to build up another one, but could not..”, comments the writer who apprehended the in-depth self of human entity.

Awards

At a time when awards become a hot piece of debates, he responded to it in his usual abrogate style. “ I adore every award as a recognition. If it is given I would accept it even if it is cinder. If burnt, would shake it off, but never refute.”

This time it was by N.K.Thalikulam Trust for his novel ‘Pravaasam’ depicting the sojourn of a Malayalee who travels around the globe carrying his Malayalee self wherever he goes.

“I revere this award which is in the name of a great personality like N.K.Thalikulam. But I cannot completely rule out the political interferences which ruin the image of awards and its concepts.”

For a writer whose 32 works found a slot in The Library of Congress with two other books written on him, awards and recognitions need not matter, even if it comes on and off.

Sahitya Akademy

“Experience as the President of Sahitya Akademy was really enriching. It informed me a lot of the intellectual activities in the State which I had viewed from a distance earlier. But it was also a period of stress and tension. It affected my writing badly.  However, I believe I could bring some talented writers to the mainstream. But the lack of continuity in governance that blocks the ongoing projects in Akademy.”, Mukundan recalled the incidents of his Presidential term in Kerala Sahitya Akademy.

“Excepting a handful of painful memories, I could release a collection of poems, then.”, he added with a smile.

“We had conducted a lot of seminars and workshops at that time. But Sahitya Akademy alone can do nothing to preserve or promote Malyalam language. It is the responsibility of the language Institutes to helm the moves”, Mukundan replied to a query.

And he responded with an abrupt ‘No’, when asked if Sahitya Akademy does anything to promote Malayalm literature.

Tri-phased Life

In a worthy life with three distinct phases that redound to an aesthetic living, which one would be the favorite and favorable for M.Mukundan?

“Definitely the Delhi life”, stated an exalted writer. “It was the time when I could mould the writer out of my Self.”

Mukundan let in a chance for us to turn the pages back to his Life at Mayyazhi which formed the backdrops of his classical works as well as his writer-self standing at this Return to the native part where he misses his privacy often. Sahitya Akademy alone can do nothing to preserve or promote Malyalam language.

“It was at the last hours of my Babychaayan (Late poet Kaakkanadan) that I felt it severely. They (media) were torturing me when I was in a deep grief. Yes, I know, their profession demands it. But that was too much..”

PRIYA  PALLISSERY talks about  a Malayalam magazine which has successfully completed 12 years of media activism debasing all the existing trends with the sole back-up of its intellectual capital and untiring determination…………

Recently the new issue of a 12 year old Malayalm magazine caught attention on its special launching ceremony at various district head quarters.  Eminent personalities from social, political and media fields attended the function, but few reports came printed in the news papers.  Particularity of the new issue and the nature and fiber of the magazine as a whole, explains the ‘why’ factors in particular and in general.

They like to call the new one as the ‘postmortem issue’ as its whole contents serve the very purpose of reminding  Keralites once again the dreadful Emergency period and the role of Late K.Karunakaran in it. When almost all the articles are written by the victims or the witnesses, this issue of Keraleeyam epitomizes the objectives of journalism.

In Black & White

While going through any of the previous issues of ‘Jaagrathayude Keraleeyam’,   we never find it a smooth reading. The coarse paper, crude lay-out in black and white, not-so-well-edited text, hard lingo, non-lubricate subjects – an absolute contrast to typical media-formulae. While  media world ply along the narrow corridors and back doors to feast the masses with semi-porn human interest stories, political postmortems and painted stories of scams and humbugs , Keraleeyam deals with the black and white stories of the oppressed and down-trodden, sweaty live reports of the suppressed protests against the elite power, foul-smelling accounts of the gang-raped rivers.

If you visit the office of Keraleeyam, you will be all the more stunned to see a congested single room with papers, magazines and periodicals scattered on the dusted tables. You will be scorched with the humidity inside and will start to sneeze and find out where the sub editors and other pen-workers are.  You will find some coarsely written notices inviting you to join in some protests or hunger-strikes. Some notices proclaiming the stance of a few protestors and a dump of memorandums to the authority can be seen flying along the untidy floor escaped from the gewgaw paperweights …Rushes of  centrally air-conditioned marble-floored cubicles and the tapestry in front of the editor’s cabin may flash through your mind. When you stand spell-bound, with a soft tap on your shoulder, Robin, the Co-ordinator and soul of Keraleeyam will wake you up to the not-so-glam truths spread-out before you.

“See, I admit our language is not so readable and our presentation not pleasurable. The answer is simple, ultimately we are not writers but activists,”, Robin’s soft talks and candid smile will make your head droop. While he talks on, a touch of breeze will lull you to unchain yourself from the restraints of deadlines and encoded ethics.

Existence..?

It is not at all a simple thing in Kerala, for a magazine with such a feeble set-up to withstand and survive for 12 years continuously. Amidst the ever-competing media barons with a strong marketing team (often stronger than the editorial team) and chains of advertisement wings, staying alive itself is cumbersome for a print media. But Keraleeyam still stay alive in this struggle as if in the anecdote of the Rabbit and Tortoise.

“Beyond simply a magazine concept, Keraleeyam is a collective effort of a group of people with hardly any expectation of any returns. You may call it a big notice board to tell aloud the present socio-political issues, environmental problems. This is rather an exchange center where different people from different segments with entirely different thoughts and ideologies come and exchange their views and ideas regarding one or more major issues that affect the masses. You may call this a merging point, a rendezvous where people gather around a point where their aims in a wide frame will be the same..”, Robin explained about the floorer Keraleeyam.

“It is by retaining all the disparities and discordance as such that they come to a consensus for the problems. That is the particularity of this togetherness. We share the information, thoughts, concepts, ideas and everything on the basis of our mutual belief and trust in one another.”, reveals Robin about this bizarre concordance.

We..?

While talking to Robin we see his mobile phone rings incessantly and he replies to each query with patience , meanwhile he would search in his phone for some other’s phone numbers and give it to the person at the other end. By the way, some students from JNU who do research on various topics concerning the environmental issues, biodiversities of the dying forests, aquatic diversities of the bed-ridden rivers etc come in. Robin gives them contact numbers of various activists and research scientists concerned with the topic…

“See, this is also a telephone directory.” Robin continues with a smile. “Cosmic Law is the sole unchangeable truth. Those who believe it come down here – they may be politicians, media persons, social activists, environmentalists and like. We discuss about the current issue on these fields and get at a conclusion and strive for its solution thereafter. It may be in the form of harmless strikes, protests, cycle rallies, awareness campaigns. Sometimes it needs deep study. So we go directly to the spot where the crisis fumes. But we take care to lessen our expenses in travel and accommodation. We have our supper together..its output is amazing”.

There is hardly any permanent staff in Keraleeyam. In the late evenings people who work with other media firms comes after their shift directly to this small room with collected reports and themselves do the DTP works in the dusted Desktop PC. Some of the activists come with their live reports. Sometimes Robin himself does the process, his friends, colleagues  and like people helps in doing the lay-outs. Some others go for the print. Articles are given by social activists and eminent media persons.  There are translators in this coalition; they translate the English talks and Englsih/other language scribbles into Malayalam. “Everything is being done on the basis of an eco-centric mind, never an ego-centric”, comments Robin.

Every birth is painful

The birth of Keraleeyam under the leadership of a trio has happened in the form of a Graamapathram (village manual), ‘Novu’ (pain). Protection of environment and biodiversity, awareness campaigning for the public from the grass-root level, analyzing political issues sans party politics, nurturing a sustainable life culture that contrasts with the health consumerism,, agriculture projects etc were dealt with in ‘novu’. It was also a product of togetherness of the like-minded people and when the trio separated in the torrents of life, ‘novu’ transformed into ‘Keraleeyam’ with a vigilance and support from many.

“It is a wrong notion among us that a cultural publication should include stories or poems. In fact, cultural affairs deal with the basic requirements and basic issues of the community where we should work for its progress by making them aware of the gravity of the issue and supporting them to resist.” says the gentle rebel.

Protests

“Who said media can influence individual lives?”, asks Robin. “It is not the quantitative influence but the qualitative influence that counts.”, remarked Robin  mentioning the TRP and TAM rating s of media impacts.

Keraleeyam comes out of the masses as it lives among them. Media and institutions with parallel thoughts share their part with it. Lalur, Muthanga, Chengara, Muriad , Aaralam, Moolampilly, Erayam kudi, Plaachimada, Athirappilly, Kaathikkudam, Nandigram, Singoor  and like popular uprisings which found  cornered  in the dailies were handled by Keraleeyam as a media campaign along with active participation in person. Thus when its reports came in print they could not ‘paint it properly’ as most of them were brought live into the paper without editing.

“Often a protest breaks out among its victims and it revolves round a particular segment. In that context we media people should make the people aware that it is for the basic rights, they fight. We should take the issue into the society from particular to general. People should realize the need of protest in a broad sense.”

Togetherness

In their quest to find out the solutions for these issues, a few socially committed media persons and environmentalists took over the baton and in their voice Keraleeyam reincarnated many times out of the blue.  C.R.Neelakandan, K.P.Sethunath, K.Venu, Rafeek Ahammed,  Dr.Nissar Ahammed, Late Larry Baker, Arundhathy Roy, Vandana Siva, Late Saratchandran, Dr.S.Fazy, Dr. Latha, S.Unnikrishnan etc were a few of them who stood with Keraleeyam supporting  those who were evicted from justice. Entirely deviated from the present media culture they went to the extent of activism other than a lip-exercise or fishing with a pen.

Can you find any other magazine in which a column is dedicated to promote other vernacular periodicals of parallel thoughts, with the details of the issue number and title of the article?

Eco-friendly

The words ‘eco-friendly’, ‘herbal’, ‘natural’ etc lost its meaning of the gang-bang of consumerism. That is why Keraleeyam tried a cycle rally from Kazargodu to Trivandrum challenging the speed and pride coded by the marketing system. It was ‘cycling with a mission’ in a world that runs on motor wheels spitting carbon causing Green House Effect. When motor vehicles become a symbol of dignity than a necessity, increase in the number of vehicles on the old-fashioned roads turn out to be alarming. Cycle journey became hazardous. Touching the soil, spreading their message for the right of the people for a healthy living, Keraleeyam flagged off this mission. It was also a task to collect a fund for ‘Chilla’, a charitable organ and an awareness campaign for the protection of the Western Ghat Ecosystem. One of Keraleeyam’s issues was titled as “Cycle Issue’.

Unlike usual political stunts, we can see those who behind Keraleeyam come in cycles drenched in sweat, and life pledged with the mercy of the motorists. Also they tried a hand in celebrating a vegetarian Christmas in a world that whirls around grilled chicken!!!

Success..?

“Indian independence struggle was more than 100 years old..”, winks Robin. “We can create only some ripples now. For a complete renaissance we have to wait for long. It is a gradual process.”

“Our sole aim is a new world where people get the right to live in a peaceful and unpolluted ambience. — Not only people, flora, fauna, rivers, hills and hillocks– We are committed to retain them as such. Equality, fraternity and freedom – we strive for it since 12 years. If we could make a small ripple in the society, I count it as very positive”, remarked Robin quoting their incessant protests in support of the Plachimada problem through their 145 issues out of the total 165.

Struggles come to an end only when we feel somebody’s voice become a melody for our ears…

Finance

The profit of Keraleeyam is nothing but a never-ending list of finance loans. Sans a marketing team or a spicy text, it struggles for existence. “After each issue, the production of the next always dooms like Damocles’ sword. So we cannot say that we could keep the periodicity at the best. Financial debts are being shared among us. Subscription amount is our major revenue.”

“Such things can make me disturbed but never hurt. When comparing it with the plight of those who die for a piece of land, this is very simple. What happens, if we cannot publish a new issue?’’

Smiling and waving good-bye Robin took his bicycle and faded into the buzzing traffic jam.

MAYA KRISHNAN talks with Rajan Paul, the internationally acclaimed Fashion Photographer who carved a niche in the world of aesthetics wading through the professional pressures…

Perhaps, only a Rajan Paul would be able to make the musical maestro Yesudas to spend his ‘precious’ 8 hours continuously in a studio floor. But it proved worthy by presenting us a unique visual which was thought to be ethereal until then — the transient nuance of a divine visual note.

That is Rajan Paul, the much acclaimed Fashion Photographer of South India.  While many become ‘simply  Nikon owners’ and a lot  many wield cell phone camera as candid or otherwise to have ‘just a look’ Rajan Paul sees the world in rectangular frames. Through his inimitable angles we were gifted with the essence of his sights as visual poems. World came to know about a God’s Own Country, right on this  earth via his mesmerizing frames.

“Of course, the latest digital technology has brought out revolutionary change in photography. There is no time lag now. Being digital, we are able to exercise ‘on-the-spot-delivery’ which makes the client contented. They are able to see the final form in the monitor at the shooting location itself and pass their comments and can correct it with mutual consent”, remarked Rajan Paul, a co-traveler of camera in its technological voyage from analog to digital.

Passion

Rajan Paul turned back the pages to his school life at Ooty where he was in search of a medium to capture his thoughts and dreams. He tried to decant it into white paper through brush strokes. Dipped in water color and oil paints he slashed his brushes but  contented, never.

While wading through the academic literature he tried to re-invent it through the poetical threads. Eventually, realized, film was the medium to encapsulate his moods, to capture every nuance of his thoughts.

Following the heart, Rajan Paul joined for a Visual Communication course in Chennai and that became the only ‘training’ this unabated photographer has got to tell the world which often asks him with lifted eyebrows ‘who is your guide?’

Profession

Even though we see the amazing work pieces of talented photographers everywhere in fashion magazines, movies, advertisements, brochures etc, it is not easy to be in print by just knocking at the cabin doors of any leading magazine editor.  It needs hard work and dedication blended with natural talent and technical know-how with updating. Unless one dedicates himself completely to the profession, he cannot spread his wings under this sky, to wither his endless passion for perfection.

Rajan Paul started to work as a professional photographer in the Society magazine, Vanitha, Grihalakshmi and Manorama and proved his updating talent in every issue. “When I joined with Vanitha, its circulation was 63,000 copies as a fortnightly. They have given me the freedom to do my experiments. They have tried out with paper quality, page layout, designing and along with all these changes I too tried myself best to render something new each time. Just after 5 years, its circulation has sky rocketed to 5.5 lakhs. It was a professional satisfaction”, says Rajan Paul.

“Grihalakshmi and Vanitha are the two leading competent family magazines in Malayalam. Though a freelancer, I did not like to work for the both at the same time. Both the managements are ready to accept me, but I opted one at a time, it is my ethics, never a forced one.”, explained the professional.

Behind the lens

“I do both movie and the still. Both are beloved to me. I visualize whatever comes to my frame and it becomes an art. Sometimes it happens spontaneously. But when the client’s demand overtakes my personal aesthetics, I justify with my profession. You may call it a compromise. But most probably, I would have a discussion with the creative team of the client and we go with a mutual consent.”

However, the art of advertisement brings the sellers and buyers together through an aesthetic bonding. As a professional photographer Rajan Paul works out for plenty of such assignments and he takes pain to bloom something amazingly beautiful and outstanding out of it.

“When I started my career, the word advertisement was something strange to the retail outlets. Shoppers will be happy if they get a Rs.1000 plus one day. But their next generation majored in Business Management and Business Administration from foreign universities, were able to spot vast potential that can be tapped out through ad campaigns. Now, advertisement became an inevitable part of business. Even small shops and small products started to create ads which suit to their pocket”

With a handful of accomplished ad works both in still and movies, Rajan Paul is the first referring point in South India for various branded projects and products. He could create a general impression across the peninsula that when it comes to the work of Fashion Photography, the tag  Rajan Paul is the ultimate.

Fashion Photography

There is hardly any acclaimed film star in South India, not being captured through the lens of Rajan Paul. Making the ‘stars’ sit down on his studio floor for countless hours of slogging to get a picture with classic touch, is never an easy thing. But like blotting the visual notes from Yesudas to a mat-finish, he has done the same with the ever green hero of Malayalm cinema Mammooty. He made the Ulaganayakan Kamal Hassan to pose into the folds of his Royal Enfield. He could visualize with all the poetical touch, the clean-shaved face of the versatile Mohan Lal, by capturing all the thousands of emotions that roar his inside as being veiled by an amazing tranquility.

In front of his camera umpteen models posed with variegated expressions, it became the treasure box and library of a photographer. In a world that withstands on consumerism, in a hurried and random schedule, not getting enough time to balance the visuals with the concept, he became a technocrat. Choosing the best out of the bulk and by befitting it into the frame of need, he proved photography is not only a skill but also an art. From a moment of embarrassment the skill proved a life-time pleasure often. He has proved that Fashion is the breaking ground of his career.

In public

‘Thought Shots’, the studio at Chennai is the thought processing lab of this photographer. It delivers us the same delight experienced by him at the sight of the object. Rare moments captured by lens in weird angles and imprinted on the canvas redefine our perceptions, on and off. The poetic visuals render subtle thoughts and beauty beyond brackets.

Though admiring the talent of Kevin Carter much, he never lines up with those who bisected the profession with righteousness and ethics. Instead, he is now active with campaigning photography and making ordinary people aware of this art as a subject to be learned. “ More and more people come to learn the science and technology behind this now. Also it became an academic subject in the campus, especially in Journalism courses. Workshops on photography are being organized worldwide. I love to participate in it and feel happy to share my experience and expertise through that platform.”

Recently, Rajan Paul has conducted a Photography Workshop at Dubai and it was a bang over the Middle East. To be trained under the internationally acclaimed photographer, people from all walks of life jostled at the premise. But for the practical convenience only 30 were allowed to participate. There fore, one more work shop is also being conducted at Dubai next month for those who missed the chance.

“In many foreign countries we see specialized photographers. But I don’t like to be categorized and thus being marginalized. Every background, every object when looked through the lens is dear to me. I am confident to bring it in a beautiful blend justifying the pre-concept.”

Nature, ramp, studio floor – everything become the setting for this professional. “I don’t mind if someone remarked vague or bad at my picture provided he is not my client.” Pointing to a picture of a red capsicum in the same red milieu he said, “Once a man asked me why I had chosen the same color as the background. Logically it is true. I know that I cannot explain the ‘why factor’ of that aesthetics. So I replied, ‘I took that snap when I was in nuts.’”

Cinematographer

When Rajan Paul wielded the camera for a Jayaraj film ‘Millennium Stars’, he never thought of doing it for the first time. Had not so bothered of the public pulse, ‘Desadanam’ would have been Rajan Paul’s debut film. “When Jayaraj asked me to take the shots in natural light for that movie, I left that offer. Because I know what people expect from me. So I decided to leave back not to alter an established image.  But I was there at the location and enjoyed and amazed at M.J.Radhakrishnan’s envious canning of shots.”

But his second film ‘Vellithira’ hit the silver screen, people inquired about the man behind the camera. No one would ever forget the color scheme and the entirely different two-dimensional visualization of the song sequence ‘pachamanga….. pachamanga’ and the still which depicts the hero and heroine being tied around inside the film rolls.

He has done one more film in Malyalam, ‘hariharan pilla happy aanu’.

“Of course, I love to do cinema. But it is a world of compromises. Sometimes we cannot adjust with it. But after all, cinema is a team work comprising more than hundreds of people working together at various schedules. But I will do a film. Discussions on a Tamil project are going on now. Sometimes, you may see me in a director’s shoes, not so late..”

When K.Karunakaran, the staunch politician departs, a sense of nothingness prevails all over the State, as never before.  An epitome of allegiance he lived a life worthy emulating to the genre next, wading through amazing coincidences and paradoxes, says Maya  Krishnan

Mourns and condolences over the departure of a celeb had never been new to our social set up, since the launch of a democracy with a plural back up. But, the leaving back of K.Karunakaran was far more than a simple posthumous grief. It substantially, left a gloomy air all over the State of Kerala despite the preparations of a dazzling Christmas.

One cannot point up the history of Kerala politics without a K.Karunakaran, because he was the one and only ‘Leader’ for his friends and foes coming from the embarrassing multiplicity of political parties in the State.  A man of paradoxes, K.Karunakaran ,  stands upright a giant in the political kaleidoscope of Kerala with a short physique and winking eyes.

News Maker

Keralites adored him as the ‘Bheeshmacharya’ of the Congress party in the State. While getting on well with the United Democratic Front rendering all his blood and life to it, he maintained a specific hiatus inside the party not to unite the two parallel tracks that make the team Congress.

We learned to call him the ‘Chanakya’ of the Indian Politics where ‘the cunningness of fox overruled the strength of lion’ in his unparalleled political tactics and when he became the trouble shooter of Indian National Congress, often.

Heralding the fights for rights of the labourers, he created a strong parallel track of trade unionism, when the Thunderbolts of the Spring send tremors in the social and political arena of the State. And when got into the power he could turn out the thunders into hymns for peace and equality via a crash-landing by making use of the bureaucracy at the ‘best’.

Karunakaran was an artist, a less known fact to many. He was a student of the Fine Arts College, Trichur, and was excelled in portrait-painting.  The cults he figured out in Kerala Politics still accounts for his unique style of character sketching, giving light and shade to the needed parts as well. His leadership quality when laced with his practical sense and innate speed, carved new dimensions in the conventional political arena where a Communist-led ministry came to power for the first time in the world through ballot box.  Sitting at the Opposition sector he conceived the idea of a coalition government in Kerala which became a forerunner of the trends in the nation.

Herald  of  Developments

'Rama Nilayam'

A great visionary and a stubborn herald of developments, K.Karunakaran is fondly remembered by the State. If such a quick-witted person was not there, Kerala would never have a Nedumbassery Airport with sophisticated amenities which cannot be seen at any other airports in Kerala. When he put forward the idea of an airport with NRI back up, as for anything new, the intellectuals protested the project calling it a ‘rich man’s luxury’. Now we see, the average man, the earning member of a family ply through this ‘luxurious terminal’ in search of their daily sustenance.

Sree Chithira Thirunal Institute of Medical Science, Trivandrum also keeps a cache of gratefulness towards K.Karunakaran for his countless guidance, services and support on its gallops to the top of the tops among the Medical institutions in the State.

The word ‘development’ first echoed inside the thick forest of Sabarimala for the first time when Karunakaran started his projects installing a KSRTC depot at Pampa and making some of the forest land as the parking space for the mammoth gatherings. He had an idea of making out a helipad over there but dropped it owing to the opposition from certain Hindu sectors.

Guruvayur Railway line, Poonkunnam over bridge, Kayamkulam Power project, a special identity to Kasargodu as the 14^th District etc. stand testimonials of his love for those who put trust upon him. Like his beloved God, Sree Krishna, oft-quoted as solicited towards the dependants, Karunakaran also stifled his followers and dependants with love and affection and recognized the party activists with due respect. A quick decision maker, he often reminded his presence with his dazzling speed in implementing what he thought to be right, chopping off whatever comes in between. This fortitude carved out a cult of twin charisma of Demon-God in his entity which forced his dependants to be glued to him and his foes to be vigilant and vindictive.

Son  of  Trichur

Sitaram Mill

Though a Kannur-born, Karunakaran grew up as the son of Trichur. The City of Trichur once again witnessed how a Sakthan (powerful) would be like. It was here, he acquired the title ‘Leader’ even before he became a prominent figure in politics. When a fair lean Karunakaran was addressing the people at Thekkinkadu Maidan, somebody was asking hearing the firebrand speech, “who is this Leader?’.

Karunakaran entered Trichur with a paint-brush in his hand, but soon jumped into activism when the anti-colonial ferment swept the country. He then grew as a trade unionist in the Thattil Estate and inflamed a sense of self-esteem among the laborers. It was the time when Maoism also was sprouting across the nation from the down trodden harems of the State. Though the aim and strategy were the same, both were poles apart. Cold-blooded murders staged along both sides and a lot were locked behind the bars along with Karunakaran.

The first non-communist labour setup was formed at Sitaram Mill Trichur under the unstinted leadership of Karunakaran, thereafter.  His way of handling the combats often reminded some of the ‘seemingly illogical’ fights illustrated in Indian classics. Some of his friends who still live at Punkunnam remember his use of ‘guerilla model’ attacks against his enemies after switching off the lights. When the strike was going on they do not have any food in the day time, but keep pieces of ‘puttu’ (steam cake) inside the metal torch replacing the batteries to have a flimsy supper to sustain in the hardcore strike.

In 1945 he was elected to Trichur Municipal Council and that was the birth of a political star from the South. Trichur also grew with Karunakaran, thenceforth. Mala, was a subjugated village in Trichur District until Karunakaran picked it as his domain for contesting in the Assembly elections. Karunakaran was elected to the State Assembly 7 times consecutively from Mala !!! In return, Karunakaran uplifted the Mala Panchayath in all walks of life. He gifted Mala with every modern facility available to stand on its own feet – -  a KSRTC depot with 24 hr service, Model Polytechnique, Kerala Feeds, Government ITI, Womens College, Meladur Mill Controls etc are a few of his boons to Mala.

Nation's Loss

People of Mala called him ‘Malayude Manikyam’‘(the Ruby (king of stones) of Mala) in rhyming love. One cannot sort out a single house here in which somebody sans bestowed with a government job, by the mercy of their Leader. Right here in Mala we see the brims of party line fades in the love for their Leader. Regardless of party politics, the name Karunakaran is the synonym of Development in Mala.  Veterans of this Panchayath assert that after the leader’s withdrawal, there was hardly any pinch of development occurred in Mala.

Karunakaran loved Trichur far more than any place, mainly as the abode of his beloved Sree Krishna. After his marriage with his cousin Kalyanikkutty, he lived here in the heart of the city, Punkunnam in his small house Murali Mandiram. Murali Mandiram was not only his residence but the party office for his supporters and activists to come and go at any time whether he is in power or not. Kalyanikkutti served food for every party worker regardless of their cast or chair, but never credited it to any of her further remembrance. But even years after the demise of that noble woman, the party workers in Trichur fondly remember her motherly affection. Karunakaran’s s children Muraleedharan and Padmaja studied and grew up in Trichur, but later the family has been shifted to Trivandrum for the easy accessibility to the CM’s chamber. But, Kalyanikkutty Amma has cremated at the yard of Murali Mandiram and now the leader also.

Ramanilayam, the government rest house near the Town Hall was not only a resting place for Karunakaran on his way to Guruvayur but a rendezvous of his supporters also. Ask any of the employees of Ramanilayam – they would have a lot to tell about the loves and likes of their Leader. One cannot read about the historical Ramanilayam without a remark of Karunakaran. At Ramanilayam, he used to call the press persons to sit on the hands of his sofa, to feel what he tells and they used to enjoy this intimacy laced with the fragrance of Guruvayur Kalabham.

Foes  unto last

Though loved by thousands immensely, two of his stern critics were also happened to be from Trichur. In the political history book of Kerala, some of the

Prof. Echara Warrier

Nawab Rajendran

blood-stained pages are shared by the maverick scribe Nawab Rajendran and the unquestionable leader Karunakaran. The Thattil Estate Murder case and the consequent legal battles between a media stalwart and a resolute bureaucrat still remain as the testimony of the foul plays inside a democratic republic.  Later, we saw Nawab Rajendran striding  along the footpaths of Trichur with a shattered body like a heathen, often lamed besides the State highways where the Leader’s flagged car flies in 100Km/hr.

Next one was Prof.Eachara Warrier whose name, Keralites use synonymous with Human Rights. Emergency was a period when the nation saw the bureaucracy wields democracy at the worst. It gave away the golden opportunity to every bureaucrat to exercise his avenge and revenge.  Several unrecorded custodial deaths benchmarked the season in history. Prof.Warrier’s son, Rajan, an engineering student also has been added to the list. A heart-wrenching father’s agony awaiting his son’s come back drenched the whole State in tears. Prof. Warrier’s habeas corpus petition made Karunakaran, the then Home Minister lost his CM’s chair, just one month of his coronation. Unto his last breath Prof.Warrier fought with Karunakaran, leaving the latter a turbulent life, thereafter.

Anyways, the ever-protesting deity of Guruvayur temple tied His darling devotee Karunakaran, to the soil of Trichur in a transient bond.

A man of Paradoxes and coincidences

'Murali Mandiram'

Karunakaran never entered into a temple until his marriage when his brother ushered him to Guruvayur temple with force. As a staunch political leader who believes in the rights of the people he was against the then custom of preventing the lower castes to enter into the temple.  “If crows and cats can enter into the temple, why can’t the lower castes? “, he asked. But once when entered, Lord Krishna with all His charm subdued the robust Leader and made him a devotee at His feet. Afterwards, there happened only a few first days of Malayalam month in Guruvayur, sans a bobbling Karunakaran.

Karunakaran came to Trichur to be a trained artist but destiny made him one of the best political craftsmen leaving few contemporaries.

It was to install Narasimha Rao at the Centre that Karunakaran distorted his title of ‘King-Pin’ to ‘King-Maker’. But the same Narasimha Rao had to ask Karunakaran to quit the CM’s chair, when the protests echoed irresistibly at Delhi. But destiny opted the same date –December 23 rd– for both to leave for heavenly abode.

Karunakaran was the founder of the first coalition party UDF in the State. But he kept the party always divided between himself and A.K.Antony, his ‘beloved enemy’. Later when his son Muraleedharan was pushed to the brim of political orphanage, Leader himself quit the party and formed a new one for his son. This created murmurs even among his devotees and the Trichur DCC office, otherwise known as Karunakaran Sapathathi Mandiram, stands testimony of this political manipulation still by removing the oil portrait of Karunakaran from the office named after him. Later, he had to come back to his ancestral party, but it never opened its doors for his ousted son. Thus the word ‘coalition’ has turned to a boomerang to the founder Leader.

Rest in Peace besides his Wife

As long as Prof.Eachara Warrier stand as the cult of a father’s grief over a lost son, the name of Karunakaran will be remembered along with. The Court had exonerated Karunakaran,but the question whether he was not involved in the case still remains unanswered, though he himself shouldered the responsibility of the police brutality boldly unlike any other Home Ministers.  Still a big segment believes otherwise, and that is why umpteen mobile sms reminding the Keralites the question asked by the Leader at Prof.Warrier’s death , ‘Who is this Eachara Warrier?’ plied along the air, when Karunakaran died.

But, both Eachara Warrier and Karunakaran now sleep at Punkunnam, hardly in a 1 Km distance, with the hoards of pain over their sons who ‘stand outside alone in the darkness drenched in rain’!

Born in Karthika star a day when all the homes lit lamps in devotion Karunakaran had risen to the horizon of Indian politics as a glittering star from the South. He faded into history when the State was about to celebrate the birthday of the Star of Bethlehem, though in the State especially in Trichur his death eclipsed the Christmas spirit.

At the time of his admission in school the five year old Karunakaran was bold enough to ask the Headmaster to chop off his caste name even though he was a member of a higher caste. That robust Leader faded into a blazing past of a State that witnessed many fights for rights, as sandal fumes spreading fragrance of a life worth lived.

Gayatri Sundaram meets a man re-born, to render ‘rebirths’ to many without medicine or mass prayer. Descending to the level of the dead, he picks them up to born again and makes them laugh at their lost birth. Episodes of this lone crusader’s voyage through the  boozers and the losers….

We were asked to sit in a small room where chairs set in two parallel rows. Though strange to each other, our knee caps touched the others.  On the walls there were pictures of Jesus Christ and Lord Krishna. A traditional bronze lamp was kept lit under the pictures. Those who assembled there were quietly waiting for the session to start. Dr.Johns, took out a pack of betel and pan and began to chew it. We all watched him patiently. Suddenly with a burst of an utter rustic slang at a bearded man Dr.Johns started his routine session.

“So, you drink daily,na……?”

“yes”, replied the man as if never got embarrassed at this welcome.

“Have you ever kicked your wife?”

“No..”

“Shit…..you must give her one or two daily, you…. Or will anybody call you a man..?”

“no sir, I came here to stop my drinking habit”

“Why do you stop..You drink as much as you can..you are not disturbing your wife..so who gets puzzled over your drinking habit..this Angel..?” Dr.Johns’ voice was high when he pointed to a nun the sister of that man.

“No, never..I made anything wrong to her..”

“Then..”John’s voice again raised to an alarming note, “then is she a crack, to bring you here..you…”

Dr.Johns turned to a senior member of the team , “see, this is the one I told you in the morning..handle him tonight itself..okay..?”. the goon-like person nodded in consent. Rising from his seat he asked the bearded man to come with him. When the latter disagreed, Dr.Johns hurled a smutty slang at him and the bearded one walked along with the other like a lamb.

After five minutes he returned staggering. Foul smell of country arrack spread out everywhere. Falling into his chair, the man started to pour out with folded hands and paralyzed tongue. I n his broken lexis he repeated the word ’my son’ a hundred times.  Dr.Johns asked him in soft voice, “Where is your son?” “He is there, inside the auto..”, the man started to rise, but failed. “No..no..you sit there..” said Dr.Johns and asked another team member to call his son from the auto waiting outside.

Within seconds a 12 year old boy entered the room. He was a mentally challenged kid. Hugging his son to his bosom the father murmured, “this is my son..” When Dr.Johns asked his name he mewed gently. Taking a toffee out of his pocket Dr.Johns called him to his lap. The half-conscious father was in tears. “Tomorrow he will go to his residential school. I’ll be left alone, then..”

“Why don’t you try for a second child?” asked Dr.Johns.

“She (his wife) is not interested. She fears if the same thing would happen to the second one also..”

“See, medical technology is developing..a lot of ways are there to know about the embryo now” Before Dr.Johns  could complete the sentence, the nun interrupted, “never sir..it is sin”

“Sin..Damn your thoughts you angel..Be practical” Dr.Johnson was in temper. When the nun started to explain it as unethical as per their religion Dr.Johns asked her to clear out, furiously. The drunken man was staggering along the corridor to send off his son.

Boozers’  own country

It was an episode of the daily counseling session in the de-addiction centre Punarjani. Out of the many sessions of the totally different methodology of Dr.Johns’ counseling, it was the ‘welcoming part’ of a new entrant.

Keralites spent more money in liquor shops and bars than for their staple food, rice. They believe that only alcohol add rejoice to any occasion. For some of them it is a ‘show-off’ of manliness. Alcoholism has been laced with the Kerala outfit so deeply that a sudden or complete ban becomes something impossible. Giving due respect towards the largest revenue of the State, the seasonal ministries of Kerala often prostrate before the liquor mafia, even publically.

In the puzzling plurality of the State, ‘boozers’ stand apart with no classification in caste, creed or color. It is the only strata of the society where the multiple embarrassments make no bars.

Punarjani is a miniature ‘get away home’ for drunkards . People from the range of Officers in the First Grade to the daily wagers live together harmoniously inside the small hut of Punarjani and get a new birth alcoholic-free. The only but the greatest link that connects them is the intoxicated title –the drunkard.

Drinkers,  Drunkards and  Alcoholics

Punarjani gets ahead of the umpteen de-addiction centers across the cent-percent literate as well as cent-percent alcoholic State of Kerala– It is a rendezvous of drunkards.

But Dr.Johns prefers to call the drinkers and drunkards as ‘patients’ rather than mere ‘alcoholics’. “No one is bothered about alcoholism as a disease, but enjoys watching them as jokers and laugh at their absurdities. Nobody is a born-drunkard, it is the society which makes him so but looks down upon him as a contemptible sinner beyond pick up. At least those who want him to be alive should understand that it is a curable disease and treat him to get back into his life..”

Through this great realization, Punarjani operates as a unique de-addiction centre with totally different approaches both in therapy and counseling.

Punarjani style – unique and first-hand

It is a stunning fact to know that Punarjani has no gates!!! Punarjani  is situated at the picturesque hillock of Poomala Village, a scenic landscape, hardly 15 Kilometres away from Trichur city. Once landed there, we see the inmates chatting under the shady trees, alongside the little streams, upon the handle bars of the Poomala Dam. We see them wandering around sharing their jokes and grief strolling along the green meadows..no chains, no time-schedules. They are absolutely free.

“Freedom is the elixir of life especially for an alcoholic”, says Dr.Johnson, “because, he is a person who has used and misused freedom lavishly because of his ‘disease’. So I believe that whenever he is compelled to restrict freedom he will stop co-operating. It will only help generate a rebellious attitude in him.”

As narrated in the aforesaid episode a new entrant will be welcomed with enough of his ‘beloved item’. Intoxicated, he begins to strip off the formal outfits he has worn one by one and the original drunkard comes out with all his absurdities and worse mannerisms. He starts to ‘perform’ before the inmates, the ex-alcoholics, who get a chance to observe and realize how ridiculous and silly they were before.  “It will be a shocking experience to them,”, remarks Dr.Johns who likes to tag this psychological therapy a ‘live show’ which reveals the pathetic condition of addiction to the ‘once addicted’ and on witnessing  the gravity of the ‘disease’, they take a vow never to go back to an idiotic way of life again.

Counseling  via  sharing

“It is easy for me to stop this habit, whenever I need so.” In fact his inefficiency and lack of self –esteem that makes a drunkard boast like this. An alcoholic will be an egoist, a cunning and clever fellow. So ‘killing that ego’ is the first therapy done at Punarjani, comments Dr.Johns Mangalam.

Psychological counseling is mainly done by Dr.Johnn himself, but a group-counseling is also going on as an undercurrent in the community living here. All the inmates share their personal affairs among themselves .Not so late, they begin to understand that there is a streak of hope passing through this doomed darkness of depression and losses.

Every drunkard might have a bright past where they lived a life of dreams and prosperity. The flash backs of the hay-days when friends and sponsors feasted them get cleared gradually when they open up each other. At this point they search for the plot where they lost themselves…and ask unto them, even after gobbling costly liquors in vanity clubs, why our sorrows and self-abhorrence still persist?

“Using sophisticated languages to a drunkard stressing on the vices of alcoholism is like casting pearls before a swine.” Says Dr.Johns Mangalam. Once when a man becomes alcoholic, he gets specialized in a particular lingo with some unique words and phrases for communication. This does not matter how educated and professionally high he is. So, only something that expressed in his own language and style will be able to reach the depths of an addict. Thus Dr.Johns descends to the drunkard’s level to pick him up without threatening him in the name of Sin or Paradise.

Family-oriented

In Punarjani de-addiction centre you won’t see any medicine or mass prayer. So those who leave after the 21 day’s treatment in Punarjani walks out with a plus vigour he absorbed from the positive and recuperative ambience of Poomala hillock and Punarjani . While the patient is being imprisoned inside the alienated cells under the dozing tranquilizers in other de-addiction centers, inside Punarjani he is being feasted with his favorite food stuff and an understanding friends circle

Dr.Johns asks the patient’s mother or wife to stay with the patient at Punarjani. This is to do a family counseling as well as to get rid of the lonely-feel of the patient in the new ambience.  “An addict cannot withstand more than 20 days without alcohol “, claims Dr.Johns. “That is why we make them stay continuously for 21 days here. If he could complete the 21 continuous days without liquor there is hope on him. But even after that there should be a regular follow-up for a certain period to check him whether any ‘sponsors’ ‘gift’ him a bottle of ‘pleasure’. This is to be done by his wife or mother. So we give counseling to them also.”

The only medicine given to the patient in Punarjani is a ‘kashaayam’ made out of a number of herbal plants. It helps remove the toxic elements from his body. Even after the ‘discharging’ from Punarjani the patient is advised to have this medicine. Dr.Johns humorously narrates its reason. “Right here, the ‘kashayam’ is prepared by my wife. We get the herbal materials in bulk from the market. But once when the patient left here, it is his mother’s or wife’s duty to search for these rare herbs putting much effort and give him the kashayam in the stipulated time schedule. At this juncture the patient who now holds the true conscience comes to realize that how much his wife/mother suffers for him. This also will have a dramatic impact on this ex-alcoholic’s mind”.

Who  is  Dr.Johns

Make a call to 9747201015.

The ever dubious Malayali will ask him, “Whether there will be any change if I come over there?” Dr.Johns will request you to ask any ‘alumni’ of Punarjani and will add ‘it is better to use the soap than to listen to its ad campaigns’.

Perhaps, Dr.Johns is the most suitable person to start such a virtuous charitable trust like Punarjani, giving re-birth to tens of hundreds for the last five years.  Dr.Johns calls himself a hard-core drunkard. But it WAS.  When he narrates his life-sketch laced with his innate humor in particular Trichur slang, we would listen to him agape as if hearing an action-packed sentimental movie script.

Born to a teacher-couple, Johnson was also an immigrant to this Poomala village from Travancore. In his own words it was his father who had ‘handed over the baton of alcoholism’ to him. During the Graduation course in Philosophy, Johnson was equally competitive in howling into liquors along with Platonic and Aristotelian stances ‘to spend time with some fools’.  Often he had been picked up from the drainages half-conscious, but he managed to get the University first rank. In the PG times also the same situation prevailed and the same miracle happened – again a first rank for the M.A.!! During the Fellowship period at Calicut University campus also he had the same mania. Meanwhile, as for any maniacs in the villages, Johnson also had to entangle in a wed-lock ‘to be a good boy and pay the debts with the dowry’.

Even after the entry of Raji into his life, he has not changed. Meanwhile, he lost the temporary job of the college Lecturer and had to live upon his wife’s salary. Feeling inferior at this, he joined the Law College and took an LLB. But who comes to an advocate who dwells inside the bar?

Wounded over her husband’s plight, Raji resigned her job thinking her presence would have some positive effects on her husband. Even though, a teacher in Mathematics, her calculations went wrong,  Johnson was diving into alcohol more and more. Meanwhile the couple met an accident and Raji lost some of her internal organs. Still they were blessed with a son.

Lying inside the many de-addiction centers, under the trance of tranquilizers, Johnson began to think of ending his life. To get his wife and son something after his death, he made some plans to take an LIC policy. But his application was rejected on the grounds of his ‘unhealthy medical report’. His liver had been damaged irreparably. Thus he was being sent to another de-addiction centre where he made himself for a ‘comeback’.

Like birth, re-birth also is painful.

His wife had gone through the pools of pain and suffers a lot more for him to ‘born again’, than his mother had on his birth. Understanding all the dimensions of this fact, Johnson came back. After the ‘great realisation’, he thought of bringing back a lot of his friends, people known to him, rehabilitating them in the 3-roomed Punarjani, as the ‘wounded healer’. The healed ones became the healers for the new entrants and the system continues here.

Next..

“I have been going through a tough time financially since started Punarjani”, commented Dr.Johns. “Though a roller-coaster ride, I want to go on with this mission, even after me. Many are there to pour out to orphanages and Pain and Palliative missions, but no one is ready to support me, one who stands for the ‘boozers’. It is the mere ignorance of a solid truth.”

“People should be taught that alcoholism is a disease and alcohol never makes a relaxation agent or appetizer. Social awareness through campaigning from the lower strata will work out. “Dr.Johns is optimistic “the newly elected members are being trained in Local Administration at KILA. Let the awareness campaigns, taking this menace as an endemic also be included in their agenda, so that we can work out from the 3-tier Panchayath system”.

For the already ‘gone cases’ we need a lot of ‘Punarjanis’ with no gate and zero advice. It should call for the by-gone days of human-touch into the treatment beyond medicine and therapy. Dr. Johns, now the H.O.D. of Philosophy in Sree Keralavarma College Trichur is busy writing an autobiography. It will be an affidavit in scarlet letters for a segment who finds vanity and solace in alcohol.

When a wounded healer opens up with an ailing liver inside, banning him a normal life still, we see the miracle of something seems to be an ordinary becomes a big extra-ordinary!!!

Director Biju Vattappara talks to Aneesh Pookadu about the roller-coaster rides through which Malayalam Film Industry is going through ….

“ As far as a Film producer is concerned, it is his ‘existence’ in the field is important while for the director, it is his profession that matters..” when the Malayalam Director Biju Vattappara opened up before the brooding media persons, Rafi  Mathira, the producer of Biju’s two films nodded in consent.

“If our new venture, ‘Swantham Bharya Zindabad’, brings in enough profit for the Producer, only then I will think of making him the producer of my next project which is under the groundwork…”, Biju Vattappara added, when asked about the unique combination of a Producer-Director duo repeatedly even after their first cinema ‘RamaRavanan’ s sorry flop.

For the last 10 years, nothing happened worthy in the Malayalam Film Industry to boast about. The hiatus made by Bharatan, Padmarajan etc remains unfilled, excepting a stalwart Roshan Andrews, a metamorphosing Ranjith or an enigmatic Lal Jose. This is ironically contrary to the mushrooming film schools across the State and the entry of new aesthetically enthusiastic talents.

Piracy, boot-legging, lacks of a story-line with meaty content, backbiting and like things have already debased the prestige of this dazzling Industry which was a secret pride of the Keralites, once. At the same time the gap between the trendy and the off-track movies have narrowed now.  At this juncture, a film like ‘RamaRavanan’ with an action-packed love theme collapsed in the box office, even when it was backed with the very Kamala Das’s own story thread.

RamaRavanan

“ I have made a documentary about Kamala Das titled as ‘Malayalathinte swantham Madhavikkutty’”, Biju narrated the incidents with a tint of nostalgia.

“It was a visual adaptation of the poet’s unending quest for love and Lord Krishna whom she considered as her buddy always. I have given emphasis on that mystical relation between Madhavikkutty, the woman, the poet, the mother, the lover, with Krishna. But just before the airing of the same, Madhavikkutty alias Kamala Das has changed herself into Kamala Surayya.  It made me disappointed and later when came to know, she also . Then, some months before her death, she called me to Pune and had given me the full rights of her story ‘Manomi’. ‘RamaRavanan’ was its cinematic version with Suresh Gopi in the lead. He has supported me a lot in the making of the movie when I was completely let down by others for handling a ‘burning issue’ of a communal riot in Sri Lanka at a time of Prabhakaran’ death….”

RamaRavanan made news headlines when its preview exhibited at Chennai, when the followers of the Tamil Director Seeman assaulted Biju Vattappara alleging that he has hurt the feelings of Tamilians through the film. (The same director has made havoc using his followers at Malayalam actor Jayaram also charging him of  passing certain ‘derogatory comments’ regarding Tamil women in a channel talk-show!!!)

“Then it was Suresh Gopi who has made me escape through his original cinematic style from the violent mob”, recalled Biju.

“My attempt was to depict the love beyond geographical boarders as celebrated in Kamala Das’s story. By adding an ideological tone to the romantic thread, it was full of emotional and ideological conflicts with action-packed sentiments. Still, after the Seeman-show, we were not allowed to show the film in A-class theatres.”, Biju narrated the sorry plots of his first movie.

Even before coming to the limelight of the big screen, Biju Vattappara had a number of endearing tele-serials in his cache enough to prove an unbeatable craftsmanship within him. So, the name Biju Vattappara was never a new one for the aesthetic Malayali.

Rising of a new duo

Right now, Biju Vattappara smiles with confidence when he began to talk to Scrollindia of course, with Rafi  Mathira, after one week of the release of their second venture ‘Swantham Bharya zindabad..’

“Now I am contented.  We have spent a total of one crore 30 lakhs for this film and we got it back just after the first week of its release. It is the boldness and staunch attitude of Rafi who stood by me at the sad collapse of our first film has paid back now. This explains the need of the spectators also. When I came with a meaty theme they rejected me and when I returned with a light story just to entertain them sans a superstar, they accepted us. This trend once again proves that the mutual understanding among the producer, director and the actors that counts the success of a movie ultimately..”

“We present the statistics of our success taking into account the financial success of the movies which had released for the last 6 months”, added Rafi who has also penned some songs for this movie.

Stupendous successes reaped by time-tested duos are nothing new to Malayalam Film Industry.  Sathyan Anthikkad-Sreenivasan, Priyadarsan-Mohan Lal, Siddique-Lal, Rafi-Macartin etc are a few who could carve innumerable sketches in multi-colors in the mindscape of the Malayali. But, it is rare to see a man who unplugs his bank accounts into the empty hands of a director who promises him a goldmine, to be locked within a friendship bracket. Yes, Rafi was with Biju when his second attempt was clapping.

To get an understanding producer having academic knowledge about cinema is the toughest part in the process of film making.  So, can we have more worthy films from this duo..?

“Wait..”, remarked Biju with a plain smile. “let this film pick him up from the slump of our first fall. Then only, I will make him shoulder my third responsibility.”

Rafi winked as a thumbs-up to take off with his third (ad)venture.

Superstardom

“When movies from other languages are running packed the mass in the theatres across the State, Malayalam cinema hinges on the superstardom and their back-seat driving. Through our new film we have proved that even without a galaxy of saleable stars, we can entertain our audience..”, explained Biju Vattappara when talked about the fall of Malayalm movies.

“Malyalam film industry really struggles to bear the expensive stars.  Moreover, their  late-coming habits make the producer stoop of burden like waste of time, drying up of flowers, lack of light….etc presses the crew to extend the shoot thus causing heavy loss to the producer.”

“Fans associations, we thought and laughed at as an affliction of Tamil Nadu, before. Now it is the cancerous cell that plagues in Kerala also. It spreads ferociously hissing venom all over the aesthetic mindscape of Kerala. You go to any A-class theatre to watch a movie with your family. Hoots and howls will make your wives and sisters turn to you to quit the premise as soon as possible. Theatres became such a ground of impudence of the so-called fans associations. So, family audience prefers to watch movies either in TV or by getting a pirated CD so as to avoid this ‘Fan-menace’.”, lashes Biju Vattappara.

Both Biju and Rafi were adamant to state that Fans Associations are the weapons in the hands of the superstars who rein the system. Unless the so-called superstars, who have already been established a niche here, withdraw from such cheap marketing techniques, Malayalam film makers cannot move further to create a good cinema, they asserted.

About ‘ Swantham Bharya zindabad’

“It is a harmless movie, in the sense, a light comic thread merges throughout the film that entertains the mass. Even though it talks about politics it is not a politically oriented one and it has hardly any link with the current party politics. We didn’t like any one to debate over the story-line”, remarked Biju about his new film now run successfully in the theatres of Kerala.

Deliberately avoiding any of the saleable stars, it has the tiniest actor Guinness Pakru in the leading role. Mukesh comes in a non-eventful role which takes the whole film to its melodramatic heights.

“I also heard some rumors that this film has some undertones of Sreenivasan’s classic movies ‘Thalayanamanthram’, ‘Vadakunokkiyanthram’ etc. As it is an attempt to portray a social satire in the current social scenario of Kerala plus the matrimonial envy, it somehow may show some similarities in tone with those movies. I grew up watching such classic ones and inspired by their craftsmanship. So my creations may mirror some of its shades, it is natural.”

“However, my ultimate aim is to compensate my Producer’s heavy loss that ensued in our first project.  To be frank, may I say, I have given prime importance to his existence in the field. It is a kind of paying back..”, opened up the Director.

New trend in film-making

“If the standard of film-making deteriorates, it connotes the changing mindset of the audience. They prefer to see cinema a pakka entertainer or as a pastime. No one cares for the art or craftsmanship in the movie. Film makers who create movies centered on the superstars have tuned up the whole system like that. No any producer or actor is ready to take a serious theme with the same seriousness or intensity. That is how the director of a ‘RamaRavanan’ turned to the director of a ‘Swantham bharya zindabad’.”, explained Biju about the current pitch of film making.

“TV has a significant role to play in this game. It makes the viewers pull back to a state of lazy watching, a stratum below the cinema-aesthetics.  And it also creates an own star at every home..”, tells one who has enough experience in the field of TV serials.

“When the A-class theatres are being rejected by the family audience, people turn to small theatres much of which are in a deathbed due to lack of maintenance. But I would like to say that new film- makers should born out from there..”, says a positive Biju.

New Projects

“In fact the ground works of the third project is on the make. “, smiles Biju. “Titled as ‘My dear Mummy’, it conveys a message against all kinds of love marriages..”

“See, I have been a keen observer always. For example, the character played by Salim Kumar in ‘Swantham bharya..’ is a facsimile of this Rafi’s son. “All through the shooting session I have been closely watching him and just decanting it into Salim Kumar”, explains Biju. “Like that, I have witnessed a lot of nuptial breakdowns; most of them were the so called love-marriages. In fact there is no love in it, but a certain amount of show-off, of which we mistakenly term as ‘love’.”

Putting a semi-colon as if saying ‘wait and see’, Biju extended his hand in a good bye. Rafi was waiting for him outside.

For Nilambur Ayisha, theatre and acting encapsulate her whole life. Maya Krishnan narrates the revolutionary episodes of a life which a ‘less-glamorous actor’ Ayisha leads in her lonely journeys, with never-ending fights

When met Nilambur Ayisha, the veteran stage-cine artist at her old-fashioned house, never the kind of home one would expect for an artist who had donned more than thousands of characters on stage and screen, she was brooding over something disturbing.  But with her firm and assertive voice, she invited us inside and began to narrate the many-time repeated script of her own life as if talking from another world. Meanwhile she sighed out as if a soliloquy. “Now, everything must have completed, all the customary ceremonies and salute guns.. “.

Yes, she was remembering her Santhedathy, better known to the State as Kozhikodu Santhadevi who passed away last night. “I was there at the time of her death..she left here a lot of her incomplete dreams, she never felt fed up of the reverts from the industry , always she longed to get a role..” , said Ayisha about her friend and colleague, who shared a lot of stages and screens in the past 6o years.

But all on a sudden Nilambur Ayisha  came back to the present. “ yes, she has gone. I used to scold her for her monthly visits to AMMA for the  pension crumb…but now what makes me worried of another incident that  happened here yesterday.”

When narrating the tragic incident of a 10 year old boy, her neighbor, who had been molested and murdered by some maniac, we could see the ground-breaking flames still red hot in her saggy eyes. “If I found him in front of me, I will definitely slap him to plunge, even if Police or Army is there..”

A  Character sketch

This is Nilambur Ayisha, whose life-sketch can be a box-office hit, if decanted to the silver screen. Born to an affluent family in the teak and bamboo covered picturesque village of  Nilambur , Ayisha was a born talent. Hearing her sing the gramophone records in the rhythms she learned out of the many servants in her big family, it is E.K.Ayamu, the noted playwright who had brought her into the stage. But even before that she had lost everything including her loving father and his properties. Left to penury, she had to succumb to marry a friend of her father at the tender age of 13.

It was in the Fifties. Even now such early marriages are not a rare thing among the Muslim community in the Malabar area. But the stalwart Ayisha sacked her husband within five days of their marriage. But to the memory of a cussed knot, she has got a girl child at the age of 14. It was at this juncture, Ayamu came to the hapless Ayisha as a guide to identify her own self. Her brother Mann Mohammed also supported his sister acting in a stage play. Thus with the blessings of Nilambur Balan, the acclaimed artist, she boarded the stage and enlivened Jameela in the play ‘ijj nalla manisanaakan nokk’.

“It was in 1953.”,Ayisha made herself turned back her pages of life for Scrollindia. “At that time not even girls from other communities would ever show their face on the stage. Even now it is considered as something awful. So, when heard about a girl from a Muslim family is acting in a play, quakes turned out across our place. But I never stepped back. You know, that drama titled ‘ijj nalla manisanaakan nokku’ has successfully run on more than 2500 stages.”

It was the birth of Nilambur Ayisha. When the news of a Muslim girl’ s acting on the stage spread out, though frowned at this ‘immoral act’, it aroused the genuine curiosity of the people around. So the carnival sites where the play was staged were packed in, and the drama became a hilarious success.

At a time when Muslim girls were not even allowed to go outside, in spite of the accolades, fanatics and hardliners pelted her many a time when she is on the stage. Once they shot her with a country-made gun but she escaped. On the inner roads through the teak forest to her home she had been brutally attacked. Ayisha has been ostracized from the community for two years. But she went on acting with the bleeding forehead.

Theatre  Effects

Nilambur Ayisha’s bombastic entry into the theatre was a boost to the whole society. The State of Kerala itself bears an resilient link with the theatre. It is an unabated fact that the socio-political plays of KPAC  is the significant factor that eventually led to the first democratically elected ministry in the State. At that time theatre had much influence and impact upon the people, than the cinema which was shown inside the closed walls of somber ambiance.

“That was a time when EMS Namboothirippadu suggested that it would be great if some Muslim girls come out to act on the stage. It rendered a strong support for some of us to carry on with this mission as a profession.” explained Ayisha about her choice of life.

The theme of the plays was atoning with the pulse of the then social streak with the fights against those in power and landlordism. The Communist revolutionary slogans and the waves across the villages where the tenants had been exploited were lined up with the theatre which popularized their agenda.  They began to dream about the melting subservience giving ears to the ‘Thunders of the upcoming Spring’ through the plays, live before them. “It was a golden era of the theatre..”, remarked Nilambur Ayisha with a tint of nostalgia.

The One and only Ayisha

From the Nilambur Yuvajana Samithi production’s stage play, Nilambur Ayisha began her artistic voyage which still continues as a roller-coaster ride. Identifying her way of life, fighting against what she feels unjust, her journeys often follow a maverick style. After the debut ‘ijj nalla manissanaakan nokk’, she has acted in more than 20 stage plays which portray the socio-cultural affairs of the main stream society.

In a career that spans 6 decades Nilambur Ayisha  has blown life to various characters in theatre and cinema. She has enacted in the scripts of Veteran playwrights like K.T.Mohammed, Ibrahim Vengara, Khan Kavil, P.J.Antony, Moidu Padiyath and the very Vaikkom Mohammed Basheer. She has got the award for the best actor in the State for her unparalleled performance in the play “Karinkurangu’ by Khan Kavil. She has also enacted in ‘Koottukrishi’  a Kerala Sangeeta  Nataka Academy venture .  Recently, she has been honored with S.L.Puram  State Prize for her overall contributions to the Stage.

“I particularly enjoyed my roles in K.T.Mohammed’s plays..But some unpleasant incidents sprout inside the Samiti made me leave the group and I fled to Riyadh, for my daily sustenance..”

When a gifted artist like Nilambur Ayisha narrates her encounters in Riyadh as a house-maid, one would be embarrassed to understand what this lady is talking all about. But it is a concrete truth. In a stage of her life, Nilambur Ayisha had been a maid-servant in Riyadh for long 16 years!!!

After her coming from Riyadh that she became active in the film field, though she had acted in some popular Malayalam films prior to that.  Filmdom introduced Nilambur Ayisha through the black and white hit ‘Kuttikkuppayam’, the songs of which are still being hummed wherever a Malayali lives. After the 16 year’s hiatus, she came to the multi-colored tinsel ville, but stands bracketed inside the off-track movies.

“ In the film field it is a usual practice”. Says Ayisha  “most of my films are directed by P.T.Kunjumohammed, T.V.Chandran and like film makers whose films are caught up in the parallel tracks.”. But we have seen her in the recent releases like ‘Paleri manikkam’,’ kayyoppu’,’ ‘Daivanaamathil’, ‘Vilaapangalkkappuram’,‘Chandrolsavam ‘..etc  in character roles. In the movies, ‘Makalkku’ and ‘Ammakkilikkoodu’, we could see her talents untapped beyond the hem of a second fiddle.

Unlike many of her co-stars who do mother-roles, Ayisha comes alone (sans an escort) to the location almost always in the line bus or  autorikshaw. There won’t be any manager to attend her schedules or any make-up man to keep her ‘fit’ for the glamour world.

“In most location sites I sit in a corner unidentified by the new genre actors, but I don’t mind and I make myself ready when the director asks me to come in front of the camera…”, commented the veteran actor with a straight face.

Theatre is my life, but..

While talking about her career life she cannot help narrating her own life history, because for Nilambur Ayisha, her life at any cost, cannot be separated from her theatrical tour. Her personal life is so amalgamated with her profession that helps enliven her roles empathizing with ease. That is why we saw her last in the Anti- dowry campaign at Nilambur village, actively participating in its street plays and workshops, proudly summoning the home-bound girls to line up against the dowry menace. As for Gandhiji, often Ayisha’ s message also equates with her own life in such fights.

Standing outside the glamour world of the filmdom she says, theater is my way of life. It communicates more to public than the cinema as it comes in direct contact with the viewer. But the iron lady artist strongly contempt the oppressions exist in the arena of professional theatres. In her words, artists are made to be simple puppets in the hands of a caucus operating the whole system. But in the amateur theatre the space is more for one to express freely. She tells flat about her disgust on the organizer’s sovereignty over the artists and the over- all play. Ayisha but holds all the rights to construe its pros and cons because she is an artist who keeps her profession close to her life which is often a lonely journey, perhaps with never-ending fights…