Shevlin Sebastian's Blog, page 57

The Curtain Falls..... Permanently

Kollam Ajith, who has acted in more than 500 Malayalam films, had just starting exploring his directorial talents when he passed away on April 5 at age 56
By Shevlin Sebastian
In May, 2013, when this reporter had gone to Kollam Ajith's house in Kakkanad, Kochi, he was all excited about his directorial debut, 'Calling Bell'.
With effusive gestures, he described the first scene: a thief, Qasim Bhai, played by Ajith, broke open a locker of a private bank, took the money and fled. But alarms were triggered and the police were able to track him down through the cyber cell. They gave chase.
Qasim ran into a building, in which there were several apartments. He checked door after door, but they were all locked. Finally, one was open and he entered and shut the door. There seemed to be nobody inside, but there was a sound of water falling in the bathroom.
Qasim tiptoed in and saw that the tap was, indeed, open, but the bathroom was empty. Suddenly, the action stopped and there was a message on the screen: 'Some people are dying because of a lack of one drop of water. Water is precious. Do not waste it.'
“Throughout the film, I have placed similar messages,” said Ajith. The subjects included the wastage of electricity, the dangers of alcohol and smoking, and the evils of dowry and casteism. “This is the first time in a mainstream film that such a method has been used,” said Ajith. “Of course, there is always the danger of the audience rejecting it.”
Unfortunately, they did when the film was released.
But he was not deterred as he got ready to work on his next film 'Pakal Pole'. Ajith said that his aim was to make films in the style of his guru, the late Padmarajan, and directors, Satyan Anthikad and Kamal. “They make simple films, and yet there is a moving message,” he said.
Ajith had been deeply influenced by Padmarajan. It was when he saw one of the director's films in 1981 that he decided to join the industry. He went and met Padmarajan, who hired him as an assistant. “But after a while, Padmarajan told me that I should try my luck as an actor because I had expressive eyes,” said Ajith.
To encourage him, Padmarajan also gave Ajith a role in his film, 'Paranu, Paranu, Paranu'.Eventually, Ajith acted in more than 500 films, mostly, as a villain. Unfortunately, death has snatched away the thespian, on April 5, of stomach-related ailments, at age 56, just as he was embarking on a new career path. 
#KollamAjith #Padmarajan #SathyanAnthikad #Kamal

When The Husband Is Harassed

Even as the Supreme Court has placed restrictions on the use of Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code, it is a weapon that wives like to use against husbands during a marriage breakdown
Illustration by Amit Bandre; PR Gokul 
By Shevlin Sebastian
When IT professional Manesh Nair and his parents saw the profile on a matrimony website, they felt Soumya would be a suitable bride. The caste and community matched and later the horoscopes, too. So, there was no problem in any way. When the pair met for the first time, Manesh liked Soumya. And apparently, so did Soumya.
The marriage took place in September, 2012. The couple went to live in Chennai where Manesh worked. “Right from the beginning, Soumya showed a reluctance to have any sexual contact,” he says. “She stated that she did not want children immediately, and insisted that I use a contraceptive. It seemed she was not interested in having a relationship.”
Manesh felt puzzled and a bit depressed too. Then he began to get suspicious. So, he looked into her resume once again. “Soumya told me that she was working as a chartered accountant in a company at Coimbatore,” says Manesh. “But when I called the firm they said they had no employee by the name of Soumya. Further investigations revealed that she had not even done a chartered accountancy course. My father-in-law was supposed to be the general manager of a company. But that turned out to be false. He had printed a fake visiting card.”
Things went from bad to worse. Within months, Soumya said Manesh and his father had stolen her jewellery. “This was absolutely untrue,” says Manesh. Then she alleged physical violence and filed a complaint under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code. Manesh had no option but to file for divorce. Because his in-laws had filed a case against his father, the latter had to go to court often. “My father has led a life of integrity,” says Manesh. “Now he was being harassed by my wife’s family.”
Soumya’s family wanted Rs 50 lakh as alimony. Then they raised it to Rs 80 lakh. “My life has been a hell for the past six years,” says the Kochi-based Manesh. “And I go through a lot of tension because of Section 498 A [of the Indian Penal Code].”
The law goes like this: 'Whoever, being the husband or the relative of a woman, subjects such a woman to cruelty shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and shall be liable to pay a fine. The offence is cognisable, non-compoundable and non-bailable.'
Businessman Anil Menon, who has had an acrimonious divorce, says, “Section 498 A is a tool that has been misused by women.”
Another one who has suffered is the Thiruvananthapuram-based Soman Nallapat. Frequent verbal spats with his wife, Revathi, caused her to file for divorce. She filed a case under Section 498 A of, citing cruelty by her husband and lodged an FIR.
One morning, at 6 am, the police came and arrested Soman. “My reputation has been destroyed, in the area I live,” he says. Soman spent a day in the lock-up before the bail application came through.
Soman, who works as a chartered accountant in a reputed firm, had bought an apartment in which his wife and he were the co-owners. “But Revathi's parents insisted the apartment be given over to her. Eventually, to buy peace, I did so.” The couple has a seven-year-old daughter.
But now times are changing. “There have been changes in the interpretation and enforcement because of certain judgements by the Supreme Court,” says lawyer Deepak George.
In September, 2017, a two-member bench comprising Justices A K Goel and U U Lalit stated that every complaint under Section 498A of the IPC received by the police or the magistrate had to be looked into by a three-member family welfare committee. The committee members can interact with the duelling couple, personally or through phone or e-mail.
Only after the committee submits a report, within a month, can any action be taken. “No longer is a husband arrested as soon as a complaint is filed,” says Sunil.
But P R Gopal, the secretary of the NGO Purushavaksa Samrakshana Samithi, says, “The problem is that the system can be bent because the police are corrupt. So, an arrest can be done.”
Meanwhile, Anil says, with a touch of wit, “It is better to take dowry. In case, the marriage does not work out, you can return the money, which is hers, rather than give some of yours.”
(Some names have been changed)
Fighting for the male gender
The NGO Purushavaksa Samrakshana Samithi was set up in 2011. This is part of an umbrella group of the 'Save Indian Family', which works against the misuse of women protection laws. “We do legal counselling for harassed husbands,” says secretary P R Gokul. “Then we submit appeals and memorandums, on behalf of husbands, to government departments. I believe husband harassment has gone down thanks to the work done by members of our NGO as well as the 'Save Indian Family'.”
Gokul is not a fan of Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code. “In this section, only the rights of wives are protected,” he says. “I believe both husband and wife should have rights, not just the wife. All human beings should be protected. So, this act is principally wrong. And from my experience, about 95 per cent of the time the allegations made by the wife against the husband are false. Too many women are misusing the law.”
(The New Indian Express, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram)
#Section498A #IndianPenalCode #husbandharassment #AKGoel #UULalit

Adjusting To A New Country

Jim Goodin, the chairperson of the Mental Health Foundation Australia, while on a recent visit to Kochi, talks about the qualities as well as the problems faced by new Indian emigrants
By Shevlin Sebastian
Photos: Jim Goodin. Photo by Albin Mathew. Dr. Alfeen Varghese (extreme right) with her family
Roshni Vijayasarathi was feeling good. It was January 26 which is celebrated as Australia Day. She was on her way from Melbourne with three friends for a short break at the Grampians National Park, 260 kms away. Roshni, 25, was doing her Master’s in Business Administration at the La Trobe University in Melbourne.
In the car, the group was cracking wisecracks and jokes. The mood was sunny and happy, as Roshni looked out and admired the scenic beauty.
However, suddenly, on the empty road, there appeared a kangaroo. The driver swerved. Unfortunately, the rear end of the car hit a tree with full force. Everybody survived except for Roshni, who was sitting at the back.
“It was a huge blow for Roshni’s family in Hyderabad, who had faced great difficulty to meet her tuition expenses,” says Jim Goodin, the chairperson of the Mental Health Foundation Australia (MHFA), while on a recent visit to Kochi. “It was at this moment Vasan Srinivasan, the leader of the Indian community, stepped in.”
Vasan, who is also the Vice Chairman of MHFA and a commissioner of the 'Australian Multicultural Council' organised the expenses from the Indian community to take the body back to India. Also, a friend of the girl was helped to get an air ticket on the same flight. “Later, we gave counselling to the survivors,” says Jim.
The MHFA does a lot of counselling for Indian emigrants. “Many Indians suffer from SAD: Stress, Anxiety and Depression,” says Jim. “People are stressed because they need to have their workplace qualifications recognised. They have to adjust to the language, culture and food. The food in Australia is very bland as compared to Indian food.”
And there is also a cultural adjustment. “We have a western culture,” says Jim. “Australians, compared to Indians, are not a spiritual people. We are practical and robust and enjoy life to the brim. The Indian people mostly don’t drink or smoke and are vegetarian.”
Australians also have difficulty with the sing-song Indian accent. “And when they shake their heads, Australians are puzzled,” says Jim. “They think they are saying no when they are actually saying yes.”
The Indians use a lot of hand movements when they talk. “Australians don't use their hands very much,” he says. “We are not a flamboyant people. We tend to speak with our mouths closed. We don't pronounce our words very well. We have a nasal accent and a drawl. This is very hard for the Indian people to adjust to. The Indian speaker speaks very clearly.”
So, adjustment is not easy at all. “But since there is a stigma about mental health issues among Asians and Indians, in particular, they do not want to consult a psychologist or a psychiatrist,” says Jim. “There is a feeling that it should be dealt with within the family. But since 45 percent of the population will suffer from some mental health problem or the other during their lifetime, it is important to remove the stigma.”
With that end in the mind, the MHFA has set up 50 Multicultural Ambassadors from countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Japan and Thailand.
“ The Ambassadors try to tell people that there is nothing wrong with seeking mental health solutions,” says Jim.
When asked about the type of mental treatment that is provided, Jim says, “For people who are not at the sharp end of the spear, that means, they are not suffering from schizophrenia and other serious illnesses, it is usually talk therapy with a psychologist. For people that have a higher rate of depression, usually medicines are prescribed but then that is the role of the psychiatrist.”
The Ambassadors also talk about the benefits of multiculturalism. “We encourage communities to be cohesive, connected, caring and concerned,” says Jim. “We don't want violent communities. We want a tolerant and gentle society, where all the people can live and work together peacefully. This is important because we have people of Islam, Buddhism, Christianity and Hindu faiths, apart from 30 other religious beliefs.”
But despite the niggling problems, Indians in Australia are thriving. Along with the Chinese, they are one of the most affluent communities in the country. “Many of them are MBAs, Information Technology experts, engineers and doctors and are highly skilled and motivated,” says Jim. “We are fortunate in Australia that we have the most talented people who are coming from India. Australians now have the belief that if you want a job to be done well, we should get a well-educated Indian to do it.”
And there are more and more Indians in Australia, at 5 lakh and growing annually at 10 percent. “But we are happy about that,” says Jim. “Without multiculturalism, Australia will not be able to retain its global competitiveness. We need all the talents that we can get.”
Integration needs intent
By Dr. Alfeen Varghese
My husband Ajit and I, along with our children Adrian and Audrey, who are originally from Bangalore, migrated from Scotland to Australia in 2008 in search of a better work life balance. We were quickly welcomed into the local school community and embraced by the local church family. We sought the services of a relocation agent who helped us find a comfortable rental property, got our children involved in a number of extracurricular activities which included swimming, karate, tennis, football, basketball, music lessons and dance.
Having such a wide range of extra-curricular activities, we soon got exposed to a wide variety of families from different sections of society. We had no problems integrating into the Australian society as we were able to learn from the locals as much as we were appreciated for our contributions. 
We are currently co-owners of our medical practice in Victoria and have 12 doctors on board. We are also sponsors for a local soccer club, cricket team and cancer organisation raising funds for our community. We offer scholarships to a local dance school to promising students. 
We have come to realise that integration happens with intent. Embracing the new culture without rejecting our own values and culture has helped us to adjust to our life in Australia.(Dr. Alfeen Varghese is a general practitioner as well as a motivational speaker) 
(The New Indian Express, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram)

Travels In The Wild

Wildlife photographer Thomas Vijayan, who won a prestigious award from the Smithsonian Museum, talks about his experiences
By Shevlin Sebastian
It was late afternoon at the Bandipur National Park in Karnataka. Wildlife photographer Thomas Vijayan was travelling in a jeep. On the branch of a tree, he noticed a group of grey langurs, with their long tails hanging down. The animals were making squeaking sounds. Suddenly, a baby monkey jumped down and caught the tails of two of his relatives, and used it like a swing. He wore an open-mouthed grin. The others smiled at him.
Thomas immediately took a few shots. But within a few seconds, the baby jumped onto a branch. “I was glad I was able to shoot it because there was so much life in that movement,” says Thomas. “Two of the monkeys seemed like a brother or sister, while the other looked like the mother.”
Unlike most animals, monkeys are comfortable in the presence of people. “They don't particularly care whether there are human beings around,” he says.
This particular photograph, which Thomas titled, 'Fun Time', has won a few awards. In August, the Toronto-based architect had travelled to Tokyo to get an award from the prestigious Smithsonian Museum in New York. “The judges said that they liked the story-telling in the picture,” says Thomas. In May, Thomas won the 'Highly Honoured' award at the Oasis Awards in Italy. Earlier to that, he won the 'Popular Choice' of the BBC Awards. This is regarded as the Oscars in wildlife photography.
But the animal that he likes to shoot the most is not the monkey. Instead, it is the tiger. “I admire its strength and beauty,” he says. “So far, I have images of more than 150 different tigers from all over the world.”
He has been able to take the difficult-to-get photos of new-born cubs, and live kills in the wild.
Asked the attitude of tigers to humans, Thomas says, “Almost all the big cats, including the lion, cheetah and tiger are scared of human beings. Nevertheless, it is better to keep a comfortable distance. If you have a good lens, 200 feet is a good distance to keep. It is important to not go less than 50 feet. If a tiger comes across you unexpectedly, you should not make any fast movements. Just remain where you are, until it is sure that you are not a threat.”
So far, Thomas, who is originally from Kottayam, Kerala, has travelled all over the world, including places like the North Arctic, Antartica, Alaska, Tanzania, Kenya, Japan, Russia, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Indonesia.
Some time ago, he had gone to the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia, where he took photos of the critically endangered crested black macaque.
And in February, Thomas went to the Altai Mountains, in central Asia. The temperature was -30 degrees Centigrade. All around there was a vast snowy landscape. Not a single tree could be seen. Thomas was shivering despite wearing six layers of clothing. Thomas had come to the area to shoot the Pallas's Cat.
It has been categorised as 'Near Threatened' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It took Thomas ten days of waiting till he got the exclusive shots. A relieved Thomas says, “I have never experienced so much cold and been in such a remote place. It has been an unforgettable experience.”
When Thomas flew home to Toronto, he got the thrilling news that he has been ranked second in the Top 100 Photographers on the web, in terms of popularity, which is brought out by the German photo lab Xxlpix.
Like most wildlife photographers this is a passion as well as a hobby. “I feel recharged after each trip,” he says. “There is no luxury in wildlife photography. It makes a man very simple.”
Meanwhile, when asked about his favourite camera Thomas says he prefers the Nikon D5. “It is good for low-light shooting,” says Thomas. “Most sightings of animals, especially tigers, are in the early hours and at the end of the day when they come to water holes to quench their thirst. D5 works best in these conditions.”
Asked for tips for young photographers, Thomas says, “Always respect the animals especially because we are travelling in their home areas, like a forest. Too many youngsters make a lot of noise. They should think of the welfare of the animal at all times,” he says. “So, one should move silently and use the big lens.” 

Doing A Perfect Job

COLUMN: LOCATION DIARY
Make-up artist Renjith Ambady taks about his experiences in the films, ‘Thanmatra’, ‘Palunku’, ‘Paleri Manikyam’, ‘How Old Are you?’ and ‘Take-Off’
Photos: Renjith Ambady; Mammootty in  ‘Paleri Manikyam’
By Shevlin Sebastian
Before the shoot of ‘Thanmatra’, make-up artist Renjith Ambady went with director Blessy for a script-reading at veteran actor Nedumudi Venu’s home in Thiruvananthapuram. As Blessy was talking about Venu's role, as Mohanlal’s 70-year-old father, Renjith did a trial make-up on Venu.
“Venu Sir did not pay any attention to what I was doing because he was focused on listening to the script,” says Renjith. Thereafter, the visitors were invited to have tea and snacks in the dining room. “On the wall, I saw several black and white photos of Venu Sir’s family,” says Renjith.
Suddenly, two family members of Venu asked Renjith whether he had ever seen Venu’s uncle. The make-up man shook his head and said, “This is the first time I am coming to Venu Sir’s house.”
Then they pointed at a photo of an uncle. He looked exactly like the way Venu did after the make-up session. “It was amazing, to me, to see the likeness,” says Renjith.
Renjith had a similar amazing experience on the sets at Kattapana for Blessy’s ‘Palunku’ (2006). He did the make-up of Jagathy who plays a lottery seller. When Renjith was growing up in Paravur, he had seen a lottery-seller who had sparse hair, but kept combing it all the time. So, he made a similar wig for Jagathy.
After the shoot, Jagathy asked the stills photographer to get him a large print. Renjith then asked Jagathy whether he took stills of the films he had acted in. “I was curious to know since he has acted in more than a thousand films,” says Renjith. Instead, Jagathy said, “This is the first time I am asking for a still. I like this wig a lot.” For Renjith it was a supreme moment. “It was almost like I had won a national award,” he says.
Another actor who was impressed with Renjith’s work was superstar Mammootty, when they worked together for the film, ‘Paleri Manikyam’ (2009).
Mammootty played three roles, of which one was of a feudal landlord called Murikkum Kunnathu Ahmed Haji. For this role, Mammootty needed to wear a wig of white hair. But he did not like the idea of applying glue and attaching the wig to the forehead. So Renjith had to think of another way.
For days he could not find a solution, till, one day, inspiration struck.
“The character wears a Muslim cap,” says Renjith. “So, around the cap, I stitched the white wig. During the shoot, all Mammootty Sir had to do was to wear the cap. So there was no need to paste the wig. Mammootty said, ‘This is a very good idea. Where did you get it? On Google?’”
But there were tough moments too. Just before the shoot commenced for Manju Warrier's comeback film, ‘How Old Are you?’ (2014), directec by Roshan Andrews, Renjith was travelling at midnight towards Kuttikanam to reach the location of ‘7th Day’. Unfortunately, he hit another car and fractured his right hand. So he immediately called Roshan and said that he would not be able to work in the film, as it would take one month for his hand to heal.
“But Roshan Sir said that the plaster could be removed after two weeks and I could start working,” says Renjith. But after a fortnight, when the plaster was removed, the bone had not healed. Again the plaster was put back on. After another week, the plaster was taken off and again the doctor discovered that the hand had not healed. In the end, Renjith’s assistants did all the work.
Then last year, because of a persistent pain in the ligament of his leg, which was caused by an accident a long time ago, the doctors decided to join the bones with a screw. “As a result, I could not work for three months,” says Renjith.
Just after he recovered, he got a call from the makers of ‘Take Off’. But when he arrived at the set, producer Anto Joseph smiled and told Renjith, “In the early discussions, when your name came up, everybody felt that you would not be able to commit to a long shoot and that you would go away now and then to work on other films. But when we heard that you had been home for three months, we felt that since your leg was still healing, there was very little chance you would have got another movie quickly. So, we felt that you will be with us throughout.”
The shoot lasted for a year and it turned out to be a fruitful one for Renjith. He has just won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Make-up Artist for ‘Take-Off’. 
(The New Indian Express, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode)

Working With The Stars

Kalaripayattu master K Sunil Kumar Gurukkal talks about his experiences of working with Padmawat stars Ranveer Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor as well as other Bollywood, Mollywood and Hollywood stars
By Shevlin Sebastian
At Subramanian, a town in Karnataka, Mollywood superstar Mammootty was standing with a six-feet-long urumi (a type of steel whip, with several strands) in his hand. Three hooligans approached him with swords. This was during a shoot of the film, 'Mammankam'. Kalaripayattu master K Sunil Kumar Gurukkal stood to one side watching keenly. He was choreographing the kalaripayattu moves.
As Mammootty swung the urumi, an opponent lunged forward. Unfortunately, his sword grazed the back of Mammootty's hand. “Mammootty Sir started bleeding,” says Sunil. “The nerves had been cut. And there was a large swelling.”
The shoot was stopped at once. Crew members rushed to get ice. Soon, it was wrapped in a piece of cloth and pressed against the back of the actor's hand. Medicines were given. However, within half an hour, a grimacing Mammootty resumed shooting.
As all this was taking place, Sunil’s mind went back to a few months earlier when he was at the Reliance MediaWorks Studio at Film City, Mumbai. Bollywood star Shahid Kapoor was wielding the urumi and, like in Mammootty's case, somebody hit him on the back of the hand. “Thankfully, the injury was not serious,” says Sunil.
In fact, for about six months, Sunil would regularly go to Mumbai to impart training to Ranveer Singh and Shahid for the fight sequence between the two for Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film, ‘Padmawat’. “I had worked extensively with Ranveer earlier for ‘Bajirao Mastani’,” says Sunil. “So he picked up the moves very fast, as did Shahid.”
Sunil was all praise for the two stars. “They were completely dedicated and focused,” he says. “Once, because of a tight shooting schedule, Ranveer came at 5 a.m. to the studio to practice.”
Sunil has worked with other Bollywood stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, and Ajay Devgan apart from heroines like Deepika Padukone and Kareena Kapoor.
For all of them, he has a basic teaching method. “In the beginning, we teach a lot of animal postures,” he says. These include the varaha (wild boar), simham (lion), sarpam (snake) and gaja (elephant). “These are warrior postures,” he says. “Thereafter, I teach them the forward and backward movements. Then there is training with the swords and the Urumi.”
Sunil had also made a foray into Hollywood through Jackie Chan's film, 'The Myth'. “The shoot was in Shanghai,” says Sunil. “Through research, the film-makers came to know about kalarippayattu and got in touch with our branch head in Thiruvananthapuram, Satyanarayana Gurukul who informed me.”
Sunil was much taken up by Jackie. “He was flexible and knew many martial arts,” he says. “Jackie learned quickly.”
And he was a warm-hearted person. Once Jackie was travelling in his trailer during an off-day. He spotted Sunil and his brothers Anil and Gopakumar, along with the dancers of the Kozhikode-based CVN Kalari Nadakavu walking along a sidewalk following a shopping trip. “He stopped the vehicle and beckoned for us to join him,” says Sunil. “Then he dropped us to the hotel. I was amazed that a Hollywood superstar could show such humility.” 

A Perfect Goal!

Debutant director Zakariya and Nigerian actor Samuel Abiola Robinson talk about 'Sudani from Nigeria', the football film that has become a runaway hit
Photos: Nigerian actor Samuel Abiola Robinson with director Zakariya; Samuel with Soubin Shahir 
By Shevlin Sebastian
On Saturday, a man stepped out of Padma theatre, in Kochi, after seeing 'Sudani from Nigeria'. He sat on his bike, rode out onto crowded MG Road, but was soon hit by another bike. Later, he called up the film's debutant director Zakariya and said, “In normal circumstances, I would have shouted at him and got angry. But I was in a different mood after seeing the film. I just asked him, 'Are you okay?' That was the impact of the film on me. I wanted to tell you this.”
When Zakariya heard this, he was moved. He is getting a lot of calls – from well-wishers, friends, relatives and members of the Malayalam film industry. Asked whether he ever felt during the 36-day shoot whether the film would be a hit, the Malappuram-based Zakariya, who had come to Kochi for a brief visit, says, “I felt that only 40 per cent of the people would like the film. One reason being that there are no stars, except for Soubin Shahir, and no heroines.”
But Zakariya admits that Soubin is the fulcrum of the film. “His acting is brilliant,” he says. But when Zakariya first went and meet him at his home in Fort Kochi and narrated the script, Soubin was non-committal and just said, “We will do the film.”
The story is inspired by the Sevens football that is an unique part of the culture of Mallapuram. “Every year, there are lots of Sevens tournaments in the region,” says Zakariya. “There is a lot of interest and drama surrounding these matches. But what makes it exciting is the presence of so many players from Africa. In one team, you can have three Africans. There are more than three hundred players and they stay in ordinary houses and lodges. So the idea of doing a film about these people was the inspiration behind 'Sudani from Nigeria'.”
And the person who played the African player in the film is the 6' tall Nigerian called Samuel Abiola Robinson who did not have much experience of playing football.
So, he had to do a lot of training on football grounds where the Sevens tournaments took place. “I also trained at the HiLite Mall in Kozhikode, where they have a place for football training on the terrace called Forza Nets.”
Samuel had to do other training too. “My character has an injury while playing,” he says. “So I had to practise on how to walk on crutches.”
And he had some nerve-wracking moments. There was a scene when he had to jump into a pond at Kozhikode. So, he went to the deep end and waited. When Zakariya shouted, “Action,” Samuel jumped in. And went right to the bottom, which was about 12 feet deep. “Although I know swimming, I panicked and remained down for a few secs, struggling for air, before the people on the set realised I was in trouble,” says Samuel. “So they quickly dived in and pulled me out. It was an embarrassing moment for me. I was actually so close to the shore.”
But all this has been made up by the reaction to the film. “It has been overwhelming,” says Samuel. “They keep saying, 'I love you Sudu'. And that has become my name. Everybody keeps calling me that. I feel blessed to be part of this film. I feel very welcome.”
Not surprisingly, Samuel is a fan of all things Kerala. “The people are very kind and have this huge family network and kinship with each other,” he says. “There were numerous occasions when we would be filming somewhere and some random family would come to the set and invite us for dinner. I was amazed by their kindness. In Nigeria, people are very independent and it is 'every man for himself'. So, this was a refreshing change for me.”
Indeed, the movie is a refreshing change, portraying with great simplicity and deep emotion the Muslim life in Malabar. And Zakariya has highlighted one aspect that nobody seems to know about: the poor treatment of stepfathers by the children of the first family. “When I would walk down the streets, I would see these stepfathers wandering from place to place. It would seem as if they were in some form of internal exile.”
But the audience is not in exile from the film. Instead, they are flocking to the theatres as word of mouth and social media are sending the film to stratospheric heights. “This is going to be one of the greatest hits in recent times,” says a trade analyst. 
(The New Indian Express, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram) 

The Ao Naga Choir Makes A Mark With Its Stirring Performance

By Shevlin Sebastian
When the Ao Naga Choir members step on stage at the Bastian Bungalow, Fort Kochi, at a recent show, organised by Spic Macay, they immediately catch the eye with their striking costumes: the men, in white shirts and black trousers, with a red sash across their chests. As for the women, they are in red, white, blue, and orange skirts and wraparounds, with traditional beaded necklaces.
Lanu Yaden, the man behind the choir, and a participating singer says that the red sash is of the Ao Naga tribe, which is one of the larger tribes in Nagaland. “There are more than twenty tribes,” says Lanu. “The different colours worn by the women represent the different tribes.”
Following an introduction, the concert began, unusually, with a Rabindranath Tagore poem called 'To the unnamed light' which had been set to music by the late Filipino composer Francisco Feliciano.
It took a while for the audience to get into the rhythms of the band since there was hardly any musical accompaniment. “Our strength is in the A acapella (a group or solo singing without instrumental accompaniment),” says Lanu.
The songs continued: Alleluia by composer Ralph Manuel, 'My Heart is Steadfast', a songcomposed by Naga composer James Swu, works by British composer John Rutter and even a Mozart classic, 'Ave Verum Corpus'.
The singers, despite the name of their choir, are all based in Delhi. They work in various professions but the majority are music teachers. Set up in 2009, the 'Ao Naga Choir' is steadily gaining in reputation. They have performed thrice for the President of India and twice for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. They have participated in concerts in Colombo and Salzburg, where they sang Mozart's Coronation Mass at the Cathedral. “It was a proud moment for all of us,” says Lanu.
In July, the band will be touring Budapest and Vienna where they will be performing at the United Nations Office. They will be presented with the 'Angel Of Peace Award' at the World Peace Choral Festival, for promoting culture and world peace through choral singing. 
Asked about their repertoire, Lanu says, “It could be anything from Renaissance music to western classical, all types of church music, operettas and Broadway musicals.”
Meanwhile, wherever they perform, whether it is India or abroad, they are always asked whether they are from India. “While abroad, this question enables us to talk about our Indian culture and its diversity,” says Lanu. “In India, some know where Nagaland is. For others, we have to sketch it on our palm and explain that we share a border with Myanmar. Many are aware of the Naga regiment of the Army.”
As for the band members, many of them were coming for the first time to South India. “Most have only been to Mumbai,” says Lanu, who is an exception. He did his Plus Two from St. Joseph’s College in Bangalore. Later, he completed his Bachelors in history from St. Stephen's College, Delhi.
For all the band members Kochi was an eye-opener. “There are a lot of European influences, especially in Fort Kochi,” says Lanu. “It was a wonderful opportunity to educate the younger members about the history of Fort Kochi. We enjoyed seeing the Chinese fishing nets, which we had only seen in photos.”
The choir members also appreciated the liberal culture. “The waiter in the restaurant that we stayed in was a Brahmin, but he had no qualms about serving us non-vegetarian food,” says Lanu. “We said, ‘Will it offend you?’ and he said there was no problem. It was reassuring to know that people accepted differences with grace and harmony.”
And they also had heart-warming experiences. There was a group of tourists from Salzburg, Austria. “After the event was over, they came running after us to say that they were so happy to hear Mozart in Fort Kochi,” says Lanu. “They have always heard it inside a church with the accompaniment of string and bass instruments, which usually drowned the vocals. They said that hearing the song in a foreign country and in such a setting was surreal but exciting, as well. We were all very touched and elated.” 
(The New Indian Express, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram ands Kozhikode)

Days Of Wind And Rain

COLUMN: LOCATION DIARY
Actor Isha Talwar talks about her experiences in the films, 'Two Countries', 'Ranam/Detroit Crossing', 'Bangalore Days', 'Thattathin Marayathu' and 'Balyakalasakhi'
Photos: Prithviraj and Isha Talwar hamming it up for the camera on the sets of 'Ranam/Detroit Crossing'; Isha
By Shevlin Sebastian
One day, Isha Talwar was sitting at her home in Mumbai when she got a call. A Telugu producer wanted to make a remake of the Mollywood film, 'Two Countries' (2015). Isha was offered the same role that she had done in the film. As Isha agreed, she suddenly went blank. She could not remember what her role and the movie was all about.
“So I thought that it would be best to call [director] Shafi Sir up and find out,” says Isha.When she stated her request, a shocked Shafi began laughing loudly. Then he said, “This is the first time anybody is asking something like this to me.”
But, he complied and told Isha about her role and the storyline. However, because of a clash of dates, Isha could not act in the film.
But Isha is deeply immersed in her latest film, 'Ranam/Detroit Crossing' which stars Prithviraj and will be releasing in April. “During the shoot, we were literally taken by storm,” says Isha. “Hurricane Irma hit Florida, while we were some distance away in Augusta. There was a lot of rains and winds and it had become chilly. But the shoot was stopped because many technicians, like the make-up artist and assistant directors, had families who were living in the eye of the hurricane. So they had to rush back to place their families in safe shelters and organise food for them.”
Shooting in the USA is quite different from what it is in Kerala. For example, the junior artists belonged to some of the richest families. “They just loved being part of a Malayalam film,” says Isha. “Many of them came to work in their Mercedes Benzes or flashy SUV's (Sports-Utility Vehicles).”
During the two-month shoot, Isha interacted with a lot of Malayali families. And during one shooting schedule, she stayed for a week with Dr Daniel George, his wife Grace and their family at Augusta, because she wanted to eat home-cooked food. “My producer was thrilled because he would be saving money,” says Isha jokingly. “As for Grace Aunty, she cooked the most amazing food.”
On the sets of 'Bangalore Days', Isha also had a one-of-a-kind experience. After a shoot one day, Isha spent time with co-actors Parvathy and Nasriya in a hotel room. “It was the first time I was interacting with my fellow women actors in Mollywood,” she says. “It felt good to know that we could all leave our vanities aside, and just hang out with each other and have regular girly conversations. Of course, the bonus for me was to get a peek into the Malayalam film industry from their point of view.” 
Both Parvathy and Isha felt that Nasriya was natural in her acting. “Nasriya has more fun because she is so spontaneous and does not seem to care,” says Isha. “On the other hand, Parvathy told me she was a pure Method actor and does research before she plays a role. For me, I was so new, just hearing all this gave me a different perspective. I realised that I had to find my own way of doing things.”
Isha had a completely different experience on the sets of her debut film, 'Thattathin Marayathu' (2012). The shoot was taking place in Thalaserry and it was about 40 degrees Celsius and burning hot. When there was a break in shooting, Isha took shelter in an air-conditioned vanity van. “It was like a match-box and there would always be six or seven people – Aju [Varghese], Nivin [Pauly], Srinda [Arhaan], Tushara [Thomas], and Bhagath [Manuel],” says Isha. “There was a lot to chat about, but mostly the conversation was, ‘Vacate the seat, I want to do the touch-up’, or ‘I want to use the bathroom, can you get out?’ We were jammed into each other’s spaces, but we also had a good time.”
Another unique experience that Isha had was when she acted with superstar Mammootty in the film, 'Balyakalasakhi' (2014). During breaks in shooting, the duo would talk a lot. “The conversation ranged from food to his exercise regime and Mammootty Sir’s journey as an actor,” says Isha. “It was amazing how he could connect so easily with people of varying age groups.”
And then one day Mammootty said, “At some point in their careers, all actors become narcissistic.” Isha immediately said, “Sir, I beg to differ.” But today, she is not so sure. “I believe what Mammootty Sir said was correct since actors tend to live in a bubble,” she says. 
(The New Indian Express, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode) 

In Search Of The Divine

Musician Joshua Pollock talks about his best-selling book, 'The Heartfulness Way – Heart-based Meditations For Spiritual Transformation'
Photo of Joshua Pollock by Albin Mathew
By Shevlin Sebastian
As author Joshua Pollock enters the Crossword book store in Kochi, on a weekday afternoon, he looks a trifle tired. That is because for the past few weeks he has been travelling all over India, going to places like Jaipur, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Hyderabad and holding events highlighting his book, 'The Heartfulness Way – Heart-based Meditations For Spiritual Transformation'. This has been written by Joshua, along with his guru Kamlesh D. Patel, who is otherwise known as 'Daaji'.
And all this hard work has paid off. The book, published by Westland, had reached No 1 on Amazon and the Hindustan Times/Nielsen Non-Fiction Bestseller list. “It is very gratifying,” he says. It helped that the President of India Ram Nath Kovind released the book. In Jaipur, it was Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje who did the honours and immediately tweeted a photo of herself and Joshua. And this is what she wrote: 'The Heartfulness Way' offers interesting insights into the spiritual way of living by and from the heart.'
Joshua seems an unlikely person to lead a spiritual life. A classical violinist who grew up in the USA, he played for several film-based songs of double Oscar winner AR Rahman. “But there was an emptiness within,” he says. A chance meeting with a woman while standing outside a shop in the US led him to the Heartfulness way of meditation which is propagated by Daaji, the fourth guru in the Heartfulness lineage, who lived and worked in New York for many years.
What attracted Joshua to heartfulness was the many parallels with music. “The heart always has to be the leader, especially when you are a musician,” he says. “It does not matter how technically perfect it is, the music will fall flat. It is the sincerity that is most important. That is not just for music. It is true for everything that we do in life.”
In the book, Joshua elaborates on three topics: meditation, cleaning and prayer.
“What do we do in meditation?” Daaji says to Joshua. “We go within. We move towards the core of our being. In deep meditation, we come into contact with our Source. Dissolving in it, mingling in it, and merging in it, we become one with it.”
But it does not come easily. “You have to wait, but not impatiently, as if you are pacing back and forth waiting for a bus,” says Daaji. “It is a relaxed kind of waiting. You are at ease. You are comfortable. Everything happens in its own time. For example, you cannot cut open a butterfly’s cocoon before it is fully matured. That would kill the butterfly. Similarly, we cannot expect spiritual states to bloom before their time.”
Apart from meditation, cleaning is very important. This is how it is done. “Sit in a comfortable pose,” says Joshua. “The aim is to remove all the impressions you have accumulated during the day. Close your eyes. Imagine that all the complexities and impurities are leaving your entire system. Feel that they are leaving you in the form of smoke and vapour.”
Continue this process for approximately twenty minutes. “You will know it is finished when you start feeling a subtle lightness in your heart,” says Joshua. “You have now returned to a simpler, purer and more balanced state. Every cell of your body is emanating simplicity lightness and purity.”
This cleaning is the unique aspect of the Heartfulness way. “It is all about inner hygiene,” says Joshua. “It makes your consciousness crystal clear.”
As for the third aspect, prayer, it remains an essential way to connect with something higher than ourselves, says Joshua.
“But prayer is only the first step,” says Daaji. “It must mature into prayerfulness. For example, it is common to pray before eating, but if, after the prayer is completed, your attack your food like a wolf, then what happens to the prayerful mood that you have just created? Without a prayerful inner state, prayer is absurd. So we must offer prayer with feeling. The subconscious only knows the language of feeling.”
So, there are many tips in this well-written book, that if followed diligently, will enable one to reach the inner core of divinity that is within us. 
(Published in The New Indian Express, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode)