Shevlin Sebastian's Blog, page 7

An extraordinary life

In this well-researched biography on Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, historian Nico Slate delves into the life of one of the great women achievers of India in the 20th century

By Shevlin Sebastian Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay got the first shock of her life when her beloved father, Dhareshwar Ananthya, a Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin, suddenly passed away. She was only seven years old. The second shock was to learn that because her father had not left a will behind, the vast property went to a stepbrother. ‘I woke up from a daze,’ wrote Kamaladevi. ‘This was what Mother had been alerting me about. Women had no rights and we should qualify to stake our claims and assert them. This question was not of possessions but of principle.’ Worried about her daughter’s future, her mother Girijabai arranged for her, at age 11, to get married. The groom was the son of one of Mangalore’s wealthiest men, Nayampalli Subbarao. The boy was a few years older. A little over a year later, her husband died. Now, Kamaladevi had become a child widow and expected to remain one for the rest of her life. In a book she wrote called, ‘The Awakening of Indian Women’ (1939), Kamaladevi wrote, ‘Widows were souls in agony. They were relegated to a life of servility with scant regard for their feelings or needs. They are even regarded as objects of ill-omen.’ When you read the book, ‘Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay – The Art of Freedom’, by historian Nico Slate, you realise she is one of the great women achievers of India in the 20th century. Kamaladevi handled a massive refugee rehabilitation programme, at today’s Faridabad, following the partition of India in 1947. She was the force behind the renaissance of handicrafts and handloom all over the country. Kamaladevi set up several institutions. These included the Sangeet Natak Akademi, the National School of Drama and the Crafts Council of India. Kamaladevi was also a driving force in the Independence movement. She was close to Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. And because of that proximity, she dared to stand up to Gandhi. In 1930, Gandhi set off in a procession, from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi, a distance of 275 kms, to protest the salt laws of the British. To her astonishment, Kamaladevi found out that there were no women participants. She met Gandhi in a small town on the way and told him, “The significance of a non-violent struggle is that the weakest can take an equal part with the strongest and share in the triumph.” Gandhi had no option but to permit women to take part. When Gandhi realised Kamaladevi was having a contentious relationship with senior Congress leader Sardar Patel, he encouraged her to spend time with him. So, Kamaladevi went to Patel’s home at Bardoli (35 kms from Surat). Patel gave her a tour of his garden and orchard. This changed her understanding of Patel, the person. She wrote: ‘Here was a person other than the renowned ‘Iron Man’ handling seedlings with incredible sensitivity and with a rare soft light in his usual stern eyes.’ Slate also tackled the rumours of whether Kamaladevi had a romantic relationship with Nehru. There was nothing to show that there was a physical connection. But Kamaladevi wrote with a great deal of tenderness about Nehru. This could have raised eyebrows. Here is a section: ‘The far-away look in his eyes speaks of hidden dreams. Once that deep-set mouth must have broken into smiles oftener; those firm lips melted into softer lines; the stern eyes danced with a more tender light. Those delicately shaped hands, the exquisitely chiselled feet, all so eloquent of a dream-laden soul, are today masked by the hard relentless marks of terrible struggle, which he so characteristically embodies in himself as the representative of a nation in the throes of a fierce battle.’In her personal life, Kamaladevi faced many challenges. She got divorced, after 22 years, from a philandering Harindranath Chattopadhyay. He was a poet, dramatist, actor and musician, and the younger brother of political activist Sarojini Naidu. Their son Rama felt neglected. That’s because Kamaladevi, a world traveller, struggled to raise her son while remaining dedicated to the freedom struggle and being repeatedly imprisoned.This is a deeply researched book. It provides an in-depth look at this magnificent personality. Slate is a Professor of History and Head of the Department of History at Carnegie Mellon University, USA. This is the third book in the ‘Indian Lives’ series. The book is edited and curated by noted historian and writer Ramachandra Guha.In the foreword, Guha has provided an interesting comparison: ‘Perhaps only Rabindranath Tagore matched Kamaladevi in the range of multiple careers she led and the diverse social worlds she enriched.’(Published in the Sunday Magazine, The New Indian Express, South India and Delhi)

In the solitude of a human mind

Tamil writer Devibharathi has written a gripping novel about revenge, called‘The Solitude of a Shadow’ 
By Shevlin Sebastian 
The first sentence of ‘TheSolitude of a Shadow’ written by veteran Tamil writer Devibharathi, and nicelytranslated by N. Kalyan Raman, creates a sense of foreboding: ‘Karunakaran hadturned up before us like an evil spirit after nearly thirty years.’ 
This is thethought process of the nameless, first-person protagonist, who is a clerk in agovernment school. Let us name him Rajasekaran, for ease of narration. 
Karunakaran, the owner of a loan shop, had come to see the headmaster. It wasclear from the reaction of the headmaster and the staff that he was a man ofinfluence. Later, Rajasekaran came to know that Karunakaran was a successfulentrepreneur and the president of the school’s Parent-Teacher Association. Itwas through his efforts new classrooms had been made. 
The reason forRajasekaran’s shocked reaction was that Karunakaran had raped his sister Sharadathree decades ago. Their mother had told Sharada: “It’s nothing. You will be allright.” Rajasekaran was only 12. And he remembered shouting at Karunakaran, “Nomatter how long it takes, I won’t rest until I have chopped you into pieces.I’ll avenge this, da.” 
Karunakaran laughed. Then he told their mother, “The boywatches a lot of movies, it seems. Such a small runt. You are no bigger than acrab, but you stood there with a sickle in your hand and threatened to kill me.”Unfortunately, the siblings could not inflict any revenge. 
That evening, whenRajasekaran mentioned the reemergence of Karunakaran to Sharada, Devibharathiwrites: ‘the smouldering embers of her vengeance had begun to shed the layers ofash deposited by time.’ After calming down, Sharada asked her brother to wreakvengeance on Karunakaran. 
Rajasekaran wrote an anonymous letter describing therape of Sharada. He sent it by post to Karunakaran’s home. 
‘I wanted him to feelon his dead tongue the salt of the tears that had flowed from Sharada’s browneyes as she stood before him trembling like a wounded bird,’ writesDevibharathi. ‘He would never have imagined that I would follow him like avengeful serpent and that he would struggle to protect himself from the panicthat would follow.’ 
Now begins the cat-and-mouse game between Rajasekaran andKarunakaran, as they interact with one another all the time. It is intriguing,suspenseful and mysterious. No rising heat wave or a falling water table candistract the reader from enjoying this superb novel. 
Devibharathi has been agovernment employee, political activist, a managing editor of a literarymagazine and scriptwriter. He won the Sahitya Akademi award for 2023. ‘NizhalinThanimai’ (‘The Solitude of a Shadow’), published in 2012, is his first novel. 
In four decades, Devibharathi has published two short story collections, fournovellas, four novels, a play and two non-fiction anthologies which contain hisessays and memoirs. One hopes that more books of Devibharathi will be translatedinto English. 
(Published in the Sunday Magazine, The New Indian Express, SouthIndia and Delhi)

The film that scaled the heights

Chidambaram S Poduval, the director of ‘Manjummel Boys’, talks about how the idea for the film came to him and his meeting with Tamil film legend Kamal HaasanBy Shevlin Sebastian Shawn Antony was the producer of director Chidambaram’s first film, ‘Jan E Man’ (2021). One day, he told Chidambaram a story of a group of boys who had gone to the Guna Caves (elevation: 2230 metres) in Kodaikanal in 2006. One of them, Subhash, while crossing a crevice, fell through a hole and plunged to a depth of 120 feet. The rescue services personnel were reluctant to go down, while holding onto a rope. So, one boy, Siju David, volunteered to do so. In the end, he could pull Subhash up towards safety. So, Chidambaram, along with Shawn, met the boys at Siju’s house at Manjummel, near Kochi in mid-2022. After hearing their narration, Chidambaram realised that this would make a good film. For research, Chidambaram went to the Guna Caves. One day, at 6 am, in December 2022, he entered the caves for the first time. Chidambaram had heard many stories of people slipping through the various holes. Nobody had found their bodies. The forest guard gave Chidambaram a lemon. He told Chidambaram he needed it to ward off negative energy. When Chidambaram was strolling around, he realised there were over 100 hidden holes. “It was too dangerous,” he said. Chidambaram experienced the smell of the decomposition of the plants. He also noticed the wet earth and the plastic waste and food thrown by the tourists. The caves acted like a funnel for the neighbouring areas. He had to contend with the odour of monkeys, dead bats and methane gas. “It has a psychological effect on you,” he said. “There is a cliff. People jump off it. The locals dubbed it ‘Suicide Point’. Murders have also taken place.” Thereafter, Chidambaram returned to Kochi. He took one-and-a-half years to write the script. Since the actual Guna Caves were too dangerous to shoot, the crew built a replica at a warehouse in Perumbavoor, 38 kms from Kochi. For the frame, they used metal and fibre for the rocks. “The height was about 40 feet,” said Chidambaram. “We used VFX to create a further height.” Set designer Ajayan Chalissery designed it. One morning, Chidambaram surveyed the cave. Standing behind him were two senior technicians working in the flame unit. Both were from Andhra Pradesh. They had just arrived and did not know anything about the subject of the film. One man turned to the other and said, “This place looks like Guna, don’t you think?” Chidambaram looked back and said, “Why did you say that?” The man replied, “Sir, I worked in Kamal Haasan’s ‘Gunaa’ (1991). We had shot inside the caves.” It was at that moment, that Chidambaram realised Ajayan and his team had nailed the recreation. Asked why the film became a superhit, having grossed over Rs 200 crore worldwide, Chidambaram said, “Every village will have a bunch of mischievous brats who fall into trouble. It is a survival thriller. This is a universal theme: a triumph against the odds. Also, ‘Manjummel Boys’ is a visually told story. Language is not a barrier.” The film received an exceptional reception in Tamil Nadu. One of the main reasons is that, at the beginning, a video is being played in a restaurant. It featured the hit song, ‘Kanmani Anbodu Kadhalan’ from ‘Gunaa’. Kamal Haasan played the hero. Another factor that helped was that since the movie was mostly set in Tamil Nadu, about 60 percent of the dialogue was in Tamil. Chidambaram sent Kamal the CD of the film. Kamal arranged for the movie to be shown at the Tagore Film Centre in Adyar. He invited his friends, family and the Manjummel Boys team.“I watched the movie sitting next to Kamal Sir, and Santhana Bharathi (director of ‘Gunaa’)” said Chidambaram. “He told me it was moving to hear his voice in the film.” In the ‘Gunaa’ song, it was Kamal who sang the male playback, along with legendary singer S. Janaki. For Chidambaram, the shock was to realise he was talking to a legend and not feeling he was in the presence of one. “He is so humble that you get humbled as a result,” said Chidambaram. “Another facet that I understood was that Kamal Sir is a student of cinema. He has never rested on his laurels. Even at his age [69], Kamal Sir exudes energy and happiness and wants to make more and more films. His drive is higher than ever.” Asked whether he feels any pressure about his next film, Chidambaram said, “No. I am only reminded of this when journalists, friends and relatives ask me this question. Otherwise, I am fine. My attitude is to approach each film as if it is my first one.” (An edited version was published in The Sunday Magazine, The New Indian Express, South India and Delhi)

Reading for the sightless

Social worker Devi Krishna runs ‘Hidden Voices’, which provides audio books and magazines for the visually challenged

By Shevlin Sebastian

In 2019, the Kochi psychotherapist Devi Krishna was at a loose end. Yes, she worked as a freelance psychotherapist and also as a Hindi teacher for Classes 3-5 at a leading private school. But her life lacked meaning and purpose.

One day, to pass the time, she had gone to meet a group of friends at Kochi. They were associated with the visually impaired. While there, she met a man named Sudheesh, 42, a visually-challenged teacher. He worked in a school at Tirur (135 kms from Kochi).

Sudheesh recounted to Devi that while he was on his way to school in Malappuram to do his class 10 examinations, he lost his eyesight suddenly. This can happen if you suffer from retinitis pigmentosa. It causes cells in the retina to break down over time and cause an abrupt loss of vision. It came as a shock to him. His life descended into darkness.

Sudheesh said, “The problem for us visually challenged people is that for academic textbooks, there were no audio recordings. We can read by using Braille but many of us prefer to hear. It makes studying easier for us.”

Devi got a brainwave. ‘I could do this,’ she thought.

So she proceeded to make recordings of academic books. She sent it across to Sudheesh. Sudheesh heard it and told Devi it was very good and would fill a lacuna. That was when Devi got the idea that she should set up a library of audio books for the blind.

On April 28, 2019, Devi set up ‘Hidden Voices’. Asked for the reasons behind the name, Devi says, “We prefer to remain discreet in our actions. I adhere to the notion that help rendered should be humble and concealed.”

Today, in the fifth year of ‘Hidden Voices’, Devi, 50, says there are 4753 readers. All are volunteers. They range in age from five to 92. The oldest is the Hyderabad-based Devisetty Venkata Subrahmanyam. “He loves to read for the visually challenged,” says Devi. “Subrahmanyam Sir has a very clear diction.” The other readers live in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Kuwait, the US, Mexico, and Singapore.

The readers are selected based on their diction, voice tone, and clarity. There should be no background noise like fans or traffic sounds in the recordings.

Once ‘Hidden Voices’ receives a recording, they look for factual errors and mistakes in diction or pronunciation. The team uses software like Adobe Enhance to edit the recordings.

The books that are read include fiction, non-fiction and magazines. They are aimed at students from kindergarten to college. In children’s fiction, the popular titles are the Harry Potter series, as well as the Enid Blyton books.

For older readers, there are autobiographies of Mahatma Gandhi, former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, and former Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam. There are plays by William Shakespeare and novels by Jane Eyre. Even American author Herman Melville’s classic tale of adventure ‘Moby Dick’ has made it to the list.

The most requested books are in the motivational and self-help categories. Right on top is Rhonda Byrne’s ‘The Secret’. This is followed by Paulo Coelho’s ‘The Alchemist’ and many Osho books. “We have recorded 50,000 pages of Osho,” says Lekshmy. “It is an ongoing project.”

There are academic books, as well as guides for the preparation for the Union Public Service Commission examination. People ask for the Constitution of India, too. Many of the visually challenged opt for law. “For many professions, you need the use of eyes, like as a doctor or a scientist,” says Devi. “So they prefer to be lawyers.”

Incidentally, one reader does not read an entire book of, say, 200 pages. They divide it among four readers to speed up the process. “If it is fiction, listeners do get disoriented when the narrative voice changes,” says Devi. “But for academic books, it is fine.”

One student, Chilaka Nithish, who is from Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, sent an audio message to Devi. Nitish said, “I want to give feedback for a Telugu novel written by Kovalli Lakshmi Narasimha Rao. I thank all the volunteers. It is an interesting book. I listened to all the stories. Thanks once again.”

Aishwarya R, a Chennai-based software engineer, has been reading for the past two years. Aishwarya came to know about ‘Hidden Voices’ through a friend, who had asked for volunteers on social media. In the beginning, Aishwarya read English and Hindi academic books. “Now I read English novels because of a want of time,” she says. “So far, I have done about 80 recordings.”

At present, Aishwarya is reading a book in translation called ‘Shivaji — The Great Maratha’ by the late Marathi writer Ranjit Desai. Asked why she is doing this, Aishwarya says, “This is a kind of social service. Secondly, it enables me to remain in touch with reading.”

The students get the recording if they send a request on WhatsApp or Telegram. The recordings are available in 17 Indian languages.

Devi says they are looking for funding. Many of the visually challenged do not come from financially well-off backgrounds. So, she buys laptops and mobile phones for them. She also pays college fees and provides software upgrades. “So far I have depended on the charity of my friends and well-wishers,” she says. “Now I am approaching corporations to help us with their funds in CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility).”

The elephant whisperer

 

Parbati Barua, the first femalemahout of India, has won the Padma Shri for 2024 

By Shevlin Sebastian 

On the night of January 25,2024, Parbati Barua had switched on a news channel on the television at herhome in Guwahati. She felt her body tremble when the anchor announced shehad won the Padma Shri (Social Work) for her career as the first female mahoutin India. 

A few minutes later, she got acall from a central government official who confirmed the news. But herneighbours did not come, because they knew she went to sleep at 8 p.m. And gotup at 4 a.m. 

“My work has finally receivedofficial recognition,” she says. “This was also a recognition of the enormousamount of work mahouts put in. It is a 24/7 job. People will not understandunless they see it first-hand. My heart is always with the mahouts.” 

In 1989, Parbati had receivedthe ‘Global 500 – Roll of Honour’ award from the United Nations EnvironmentProgramme for her work in the welfare and management of wild and captiveelephants. There was also a BBC documentary. 

Parbati’s elder sister, thelegendary folk singer, Pratima Barua Pandey (1934-2002), had also won the PadmaShri in 1991. She had a tie-up with the legendary Assamese singer BhupenHazarika.

As Parbati drifted off to sleep,a memory came to her mind. 

When she was ten years old, oneday her mother Bina said, “Do you know when you saw an elephant for the firsttime?” 

As Parbati narrowed her eyes andtried to remember, Bina said, “You will not be able to recall. When you wereone month and 17 days old, your father placed you on the back of an elephant.You had a smile on your face. You fell in love with elephants instantly.” 

Parbati belonged to the royalfamily of Gauripur, in Dhubri district in Assam. The family lived near theriver Gadadhar. Her father, Prakritish Chandra Barua had a stable of 40elephants at the back of the house. Because of Prakritish’s immense love forelephants, Parbati also developed a similar affection. “Baba was my guru,” saysParbati. “He taught me how to look after and care for elephants.” 

Every day, Prakritish would goto the stables. Parbati accompanied him. One day Prakritish told Parbati, “Givethem love. They will love you in return.” This simple statement remained etchedin Parbati’s mind. 

Parbati has eight brothers andsisters. But it was only she who has dedicated her life to looking afterelephants. After observing the work of mahouts for several years, she becameone in 1972. “The best way to learn is through practical experience,” shesays. 

Because she is 70 years old,Parbati has only one elephant, Lakhimala, with her. Lakhimala stays in thevillage of Kalpani, around 123 kms from the capital, Guwahati. 

As for the food she gives theelephant, it includes banana leaves, green grass and branches of trees. Becausethe village is near the jungle, it is not expensive, as everything isavailable. “But in the town where natural materials are not easily available,it can get expensive,” she says. Sometimes, when it is freezing, she givesLakhimala boiled rice and rum because it helps to keep the elephant warm. 

Asked how elephants show love,Parbati says, “It is through the eyes. And you get a feeling that they loveyou. You can gauge it only when you spend time with them. It is a silentlanguage.” 

Elephants have similarcharacters like human beings. “Each has a unique personality,” says Parbati.“There are introverted and extroverted elephants. There are leaders andfollowers. Some are very social. Many are benevolent and kind-hearted. Theyhave enormous patience. Only when they reach the limit of their patience dothey get angry. They love children, be it human beings or any other animal liketiger or deer. Elephants will never harm children.” 

And they usually get along witheach other within the herd. “They are very co-operative,” says Parbati. Once ina while, there is a quarrel. Then it can be a fight to the death between twoelephants. “Sometimes the fight can last for three days non-stop,” saysParbati. “It is painful to watch. But it is wise not to interfere.” 

Asked whether elephants arebetter than human beings, Parbati says, “100 percent. Human beings can be socruel.”  

Whenever elephants are sick,injured or become rogue, the authorities in Bengal, Orissa and Assam callParbati. So she is on the road often. “This is my destiny,” she says.

Elephants become rogue forvarious reasons. It is when human beings oppress them, or they get injured.“There is no proper treatment inside the jungle,” says Parbati. “When the painbecomes unbearable, they can get angry. They will attack people at thatmoment.” 

The forest department has nooption but to eliminate them. “They become like man-eating tigers,” saysParbati. 

ProfessorAloke Kumar, Professor of Communications at the Indian Institute of Managementin Kolkata, who has closely followed Parbati’s career, says, “In an incident inBengal's Medinipur district, a herd of over 50 elephants, went off course andwere wandering towards human habitation. When the authorities couldn't get thesituation under control, they turned to Parbati. With her team and fourelephants, she guided the tuskers back to the jungle.”

The good news, she says, is thatthe elephant population has remained stable. According to the 2017 elephantcensus, the nationwide population stands at 29,964. Karnataka has the highestnumber, at 6395, while Parbati’s home state of Assam has 5719.  

Asked about her most memorableexperience, Parbati says it was when she lassoed an elephant in the Kachugaonforest for the first time. “I was only 14 years old,” she says. “I am the onlylady, not only in India, but perhaps in Asia, who has achieved this feat. Ourfamily later sold the elephant. Since it was over 50 years ago, I don’t knowwhether it is alive or passed away.”  

(An edited version was published in The Sunday Magazine, The New Indian Express, South India and Delhi)

The long and the short of it

With director Blessy at the Crowne Plaza, Kochi.
His film, 'Aadujeevitham - The Goat life', has received critical and popular acclaim

Creating a sandstorm at the box office

Blessy’s ‘Aadujeevitham- The Goat Life’ is a critical and commercial success. The director talks about the many experiences he went through during the shooting.By Shevlin SebastianAt Director Blessy’s temporary office at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Kochi, on a summer afternoon, the phone calls keep coming. They are from London, Belfast and North America, where there is a sizeable Malayali population. People are complimenting him on his latest film, ‘Aadujeevitham- The Goat Life’. Blessy always responds with a soft, “Thank you.” The film is a critical and commercial success. His associates, who mill around, are smiling. At 2.45 p.m., Blessy finally has lunch. It comprises a green leafy salad topped off by a glass of watermelon juice. ‘Aadujeevitham’ is based on a best-selling novel by Malayalam writer Benyamin. It is a true story of a labourer called Najeeb Mohammed, who lived in a village called Arattupuzha. To better his economic prospects, he flew to Saudi Arabia in 1993. But he ended up working in the desert, far away from human habitation, looking after 700 goats. The Saudi boss treated him like a slave. After two-and-a-half years of agony, Naseem managed to escape through the desert and return home. Blessy’s first and only choice as hero was Prithviraj. “I knew I needed an actor who would have the dedication,” said Blessy. “The shooting would take around two years. Second, Prithviraj is an intelligent actor.”This was important. When Blessy interviewed Najeeb, he could not articulate the emotions he went through except to say he cried a lot. So Prithviraj had to discover the emotions of a man in the morass of despair. “I knew Prithviraj had the calibre to do this,” said Blessy. Of course, the extraordinary transformation of Prithviraj from a healthy man to become stick and bones, because of a lack of proper food, is a sight to behold. Prithviraj lost over 30 kgs mainly by starving. “Yes, it was an incredible effort by Prithvraj,” said Blessy. But, during the shoot, Blessy faced obstacles. The original plan was to shoot the desert sequences at the Thar Desert in Rajasthan. When he went there, he discovered Indian goats looked different from Saudi Arabian goats. So they decided to import around 100 goats from Saudi Arabia. But to do this, the goats would have to be in quarantine for one month in Dubai. After that, veterinary doctors would inspect the goats to ensure that they had no viruses. Only after that would they issue a certificate. When the goats would disembark at the port of Kandla in Gujarat, they had to remain in quarantine for one month. If any goat fell sick or died during this time, the authorities would cull the entire group. So the director gave up the idea. Blessy went in search of the ideal desert. He travelled to Morocco, Tunisia, Bahrain, Egypt, Oman, and Abu Dhabi. Finally, he zeroed in on Wadi Rum in Jordan, and the Timimoun desert in Algeria. Indeed, the desert visuals in the film are stunning: vast vistas of undulating sands, followed by high mountains and rocky formations. “Members of the Bedouin tribe live there,” said Blessy. “They added to the charm of the place.” But the shooting was very difficult. The logistical challenges were immense. The climatic conditions changed all the time. It could become freezing cold or boiling hot. “A sandstorm could start at any moment,” said Blessy. In the end, they could shoot only between March and May, when the climate was most suitable. In the film, Prithviraj interacts with goats a lot. Asked about the psychology of goats, Blessy said, “They are stubborn and individualistic. It was very difficult to get them to do something. It was after much cajoling they would behave in a certain manner.” But the crew was ecstatic when they found a kid (baby goat) who was loving, obedient and followed commands. “We would feed it biscuits, which it liked a lot,” said Blessy. “The shooting went forward smoothly.”Unfortunately, two days after the shoot, the goat suffered from severe stomach problems. The reason: it had consumed too many biscuits. Then it fell sick and passed away. “That was the saddest moment during the 150-day shoot spread over four years,” said Blessy. “It remains a heartache for me.” (An edited version was published in The Sunday Magazine, The New Indian Express, South India and Delhi)

Director Girish AD is basking in the tremendous success of his romantic comedy, ‘Premalu’

Photos: (From left): Naslen K. Gafoor, Girish AD, Girish's wife Chippy Viswan and Mamitha Baiju; Director Girish AD

By Shevlin Sebastian

On a recent Sunday morning, an elderly couple were waiting outside a hall at the Cinepolis in Centre Square Mall, Kochi at 9.25 a.m. The reason for them to go see a film so early. All the other shows were house full. Asked why they had come for a teenage romantic comedy, the man said, “We heard it was a good film.” The movie ‘Premalu’ stars Naslen K. Gafoor and Mamitha Baiju in the lead roles. They play youngsters who land up in Hyderabad for different reasons and end up falling in love. ‘Premalu’ was released on February 9. Within three weeks, it has earned Rs 75 crore at the box office and is heading towards the Rs 100 crore mark. Disney Hotstar has picked up the OTT rights for an undisclosed amount. Bhavana Studios, which produced the film, is owned by actor/director Dileesh Pothan, actor Fahadh Faasil and scriptwriter Shyam Pushkaran. “One reason the film became a blockbuster hit was the humour in it,” says Dileesh. “This was accessible to people of all ages. Elderly people told me they felt as if they had become 25 years of age. It reminded them of their college days and the early struggles to settle into a career. So, it seems the entire audience had become the same age while watching the film. There was no generation gap. That was the magic of this film.” At his home in Aluva, director Girish AD has a smile on his face. He is surprised by the widespread acceptance of ‘Premalu’ across all sections of society. “Even though it is a rom-com, there is an innocence in the film, which seems to have appealed to all,” he says. “My films are simple and have a soul. I don’t pretend to be something I am not.” This is his third hit. His 2019 film, ‘Thaneermathan Dinangal’, a romantic comedy, also did very well at the box office, earning Rs 52 crore worldwide at the box office. ‘Super Sharanya’ (2022), a coming-of-age comedy, earned Rs 23 crore. Asked about the elements required for a film to be successful, Girish says, “More than 50 percent is the quality of the screenplay. It should be a good story. For a commercial film, the story should move forward all the time. The viewers cannot get bored at any moment. The other factors include excellent actors, direction and songs.” Dileesh has high regard for Girish as a director. “He is updated about the vibes of the new generation,” says Dileesh. “Girish has the talent to spot the humour in every situation. And he knows how to execute the humorous scenes perfectly. Girish also handles people in a calm manner. They feel comfortable on the sets. As a result, they are able to give top-quality performances. And hits are the result.” The hit-maker got interested in filming when, as a Class Nine student at the St Sebastian school at Chalakudy (58 kms from Kochi), he saw the Malayalam film, ‘Devadoothan’ (2000). This was a mystery/horror film that starred Mohanlal. “I began to pay attention to the work of directors,” says Girish. “I felt a desire within me to become one.”After graduating in technology from the Mala Education Trust’s School of Engineering, he made three short films, ‘Yashpal’, ‘Vishuddha Ambrose’ and ‘Mookutthi’. Girish won the Best Director Award in the Adoor short film festival 2017 for ‘Vishuddha Ambrose’. He also won the first prize for ‘Mookutthi’ in a competition held at the Kozhikode Medical College. The judge was cinematographer Jomon T John. Jomon asked Girish whether he had any story that could become a script. Girish told him about ‘Thaneermathan Dinangal’. Thereafter, producer Shameer Mohammed got in touch with Girish and signed him on. And the rest is history. At the moment Girish is taking a much-needed rest with his wife, Chippy Viswan, a preschool teacher, whom he married on June 23, 2019. He had been working non-stop from ‘Super Sharanaya’, ‘Poovan’, ‘I am Kathalan’ and ‘Premalu.’ “I will take a rest, but I am sure the itch to return to filming will come up soon,” he says. (A shorter edited version was published in the Sunday Magazine, The New Indian Express, South India and Delhi)

Many thanks to The Hindu, Bengaluru for this review of 'The Stolen Necklace'

 

Walk This Way

Communications consultant and heritage enthusiast Mudar Patherya got eight pavements in the Lake Market area in Kolkata painted and transformed the neighbourhood 

By Shevlin Sebastian 

A few weeks ago, as Mudar Patherya woke up one morning at his home in Kolkata and stared at the ceiling, an idea popped into his head: why not paint pavements? 

For the past two years, the communications consultant and heritage enthusiast, along with two friends, Ratnabali Ghosh, a retired teacher at the Ballygunge Shiksha Sadan and Prasanta Sain, a professional artist had got alpanas — traditional motifs, patterns and symbols — painted anonymously in random houses, five-star hotels, and pavements in different parts of the city. 

“The idea of painting became embedded in my mind,” says Mudar.   

Mudar then came up with an idea of doing a ‘Walk of Fame’, similar to the Hollywood version. “Initially, the plan was to put the names at the centre of the pavements,” says Mudar. “But people told me that if somebody walks over a name like Rabindranath Tagore, it will create a huge controversy.”   

So Mudar decided to put the names on the side of the pavement, near the buildings. The names included, apart from Tagore, contemporary musicians like Suchitra Mitra, Debabrata Biswas, Shreya Ghoshal, Shyamal Mitra, Anjan Dutt, Rupam Islam, Susmit Bose, and Usha Uthup. 

As for the pavement design, Mudar says, “It is like a mosaic. Very fluid. But it looks visually elegant. We wanted to create a sense of wonder.” 

Mudar also got the hand pumps painted in a distinctive yellow. And the Calcutta Electric Supply and the MTNL transformer boxes were painted in the same colours of the pavements. “These two structures stood out,” says Mudar. “Some people told me that this is magically possible, not just in Kolkata but in urban India, as well.” 

Mudar had to get permission from Manisha Bose-Shaw (Trinamool Congress), the municipal councillor of ward 87. 

When Manisha listened to what Mudar had to say, she smiled. “No one has tried anything like this before,” she says. “I also had a teeny bit of apprehension. Would it work? But in the end, I extended my support to Mudar.” 

Two things worked in Mudar’s favour. Manisha had already heard about Mudar. 

“We are Facebook friends,” she says. “So, through his posts, I could see the work he had done in various places. I realised he was an out-of-the-box thinker.”  

Around eight pavements on Dr Sarat Banerjee Road, and Maharaja Nandakumar Road, in the Lake Market area, have been painted. 

After the work was complete, Manisha says, there was a sense of wonder among the residents. “People had never seen a painted pavement before,” she says. “They felt it was beautiful and crazy at the same time.” 

Manisha organised a music festival, with the support of local cafes like Art Cafe, Spoonful, Bakeandstean, Narumeg and Eva Brew, to celebrate the event. 

The cafe owners were ecstatic. The owner of Eva Brew Siddhant Singhania said, “Yes, it has made a big difference to the sales.” 

Asked whether he had got any sponsors for this, Mudar said there were eleven. And one of the sponsors was Miraj Shah, the Vice Chairman of the Bhawanipur Education Society College. “I have been sponsoring Mudar’s projects for the past eight years,” says Miraj. “The aim is to beautify the city. Mudar is our spearhead for this.”  

Asked why he chose this particular area, Mudar says, “This neighbourhood was gradually developing a cafe culture. So I hope that with these colourful pavements, more cafes and boutiques will come up. Residents who may think of selling their Art Deco two or three-storey houses to builders might think twice, since now, they would get a decent income from rents. The character of the neighbourhood will be protected. Essentially, this was a heritage preservation exercise.” 

Some of the other initiatives of Mudar include cleaning up the Santragachi Jheel (lake). He set up an NGO called Kolkata Gives, which mobilised nearly Rs 100 million in cash and kind during the pandemic. He cleaned up the Rabindra Sarobar, a lake/garden/park in South Kolkata, replanted 149 trees, set up water sprinklers, opened an open-air gallery and organised a ‘Live in Lakes’ musical event. Mudar also did the clean-up of Vivekananda Park and Lily Pool. 

Asked why he is one of the few educated Indians to have a social sensibility, Mudar says that the middle class has an inside-outside paradox. “That means, they spend lakhs, even crores of rupees to ensure that the inside of their homes look beautiful,” says Mudar. “But if you ask these people to give a Rs 100 donation to clean up the pavements, they will say no.” 

So who should we blame for this mindset? 

Mudar says the education, social and family structures are playing their roles. “The middle class has a me, my and mine attitude,” he says. “You have to redefine me and mine. You should have a personal and financial ownership of the city. Your definition of home has to change. It should include the city. You should not blame anybody for civic woes. Solve it yourself. You live in the city and the city should live inside you. Only then will society be transformed.”

(Published in The Sunday Magazine, The New Indian Express, South India and Delhi)