Shevlin Sebastian's Blog, page 82

Saying It Through Images

On a recent visit to Kochi, German graphic artist, Line Hoven, talks about her novel, 'Love Looks Away'
Photos of Line Hoven by Ratheesh Sundaram By Shevlin Sebastian As the morning sun rays hit her face, at a hotel-bungalow at Fort Kochi, German graphic artist Line Hoven's mind has gone decades into the past. “One day, in the 1930s, my grandfather heard the Overture No. 7 by the Jewish composer Felix Mendelssohn. And he was so overwhelmed by the beauty of the song that for the first time he went into a mental conflict,” says Line, as she points at a black and white drawing of her German grandfather Erich Hoven. “He was brought up to think that the Jews were not good people. Then he realised that someone who has made such a beautiful piece of music cannot be a bad person. When he recounted to me this memory, he started crying.” At the time, Erich was a member of the Hitler Youth. And when he grew up he joined the dreaded Schutzstaffel or the SS. It was a paramilitary organisation under the command of Hitler. Erich had been featured in Line's graphic novel, 'Love Looks Away'. In fact, the book is on her family. While Line has German grandparents, she also has American grandparents, Harold and Katherine. Once when her American mother went on a student exchange programme to Bonn, she met Line's father, Reinhard, fell in love and got married. After a brief stint in America, the family settled down in Bonn, Germany, where Reinhard is a doctor. Because of her mixed upbringing, Line is not sure where she belongs. “During my childhood, there was an anti-American spirit in Germany,” she says. “Americans were regarded as superficial, stuck-up, and people who ruined the environment. But when, in high school, I stayed in Texas for a year, someone wrote 'Nazi' on my locker door. It was hard for me to decide to which side I belong.”
As for the meaning of the title, 'Love Looks Away', Line says, “I knew my grandfather was part of the Hitler Youth amd the SS, but I still decided to love him. When you love somebody, and when they don't do good things, sometimes, you look away.” Thanks to the Bangalore-based Goethe Institute of Art, Line had come on a tour of India, with stops at Delhi, Hyderbad, Chennai and Kochi, to talk about her book. Asked the charms of a graphic novel as compared to a word novel, Line says, “It is a different way to tell a story. You don't have to explain in words what you can show in pictures. I want the reader to come to their own conclusions. In a sense you have to 'read' the pictures.” And Line is happy that there is a growing demand for graphic novels. One reason is because the world is moving towards a visual culture. Secondly, it is a new experience for all. Line's novel is now in its third reprint. “There is also an innate love for paper drawings,” says Line. “Probably, it reminds people of their drawing classes during their childhood.” Meanwhile, Line is getting ready to work on her next book. Unusually, it is about ghosts. And she might even return to India in the near future. Because a Chennai-based children's publisher has offered her a month's residency, so that they could collaborate with her on a book. “I am excited about it,” she says.  
(The New Indian Express, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram)

Stepping Into Dad's Shoes

Rudraksh, the son of actor, Sudheesh, makes a mark in the well-received Mollywood film, 'Kochavva Paulo Ayyappa Coelho'
Photos: Rudraksh; the poster of the film 
By Shevlin Sebastian
On the sets of 'Kochavva Paulo Ayyappa Coelho', recently, child actor Rudraksh, aged 10, was running about, in the forest, at Perumbavur, along with his co-child actor Abeni Aadhi. But when they returned, Rudraksh's father, actor Sudheesh, saw that he was bleeding on his right foot. When the blood was washed away, two puncture marks of a snake sting could be seen clearly.
Panic gripped the sets. Rudraksh was taken to a nearby doctor who suggested that he be taken to the Little Flower Hospital in Angamaly, 16 kms away. The doctors there could not identify the injury. After numerous blood tests, it was concluded that no poison had entered the bloodstream.
This was the only hiccup in a smooth 58-day shoot. And Rudraksh's acting in the well-received film has been just as smooth. He plays Ayyappa Das whose dream of flying in a plane, is stymied, first, by him contracting chicken pox during the summer holidays, and, secondly, by the untimely death of his West-Asia-based father, in an accident.
But the one who inspires Rudrakash, to fulfill his dream, is the village swimming instructor Kochavva (played by actor Kunchako Boban), who is himself inspired by the best-selling book, 'The Alchemist', by Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho.
Young director Sidhartha Siva had one major condition for Rudraksh to play the part: he had to learn swimming. So the Kozhikode-based boy quickly learnt it at a nearby pool. “Thereafter I practised for three months,” says Rudraksh.
On the sets, in order to avoid confusing the child, Sudheesh told his son to only follow Sidhartha's suggestions. “Sidhartha Uncle told me that at all times I should think about the character,” says Rudraksh. “He told me to understand my relationship with my parents, elder brother and grandparents.”
Rudrakash did so and has been lauded for his performance. In fact, after a few minutes of seeing the premiere show, Sudheesh forgot that it was his son who was acting. “He is a natural talent,” says Sudheesh.
A Class five student of the Silver Hills higher secondary school, Rudrakash received a lot of support from his principal, teachers and classmates. Because the shoot took so long, in different places in Kerala, he had to rely on his friends to share their notes with him. “Later when they saw the film, they liked my performance,” says Rudraksh. “Some of them have seen the film a few times.”
Asked about his future plans, Rudraksh says, “Once I finish my studies, I would like to become an actor.” 
(Sunday Magazine, The New Indian Express, South India and Delhi) 

Nothing Sweet About It!

American health expert Dr. Phil Maffetone talks about the need to have a sugar-free, as well as an unprocessed food diet, to avoid chronic diseases

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

A Dog’s Timely Arrival

COLUMN: LOCATION DIARY
Director Johny Antony talks about his experiences in the films, ‘CID Moosa’, ‘Cycle’ and 'Thoppil Joppan' 
Photos: Director Johny Antony by Sachin Aliathy; the poster of 'CID Moosa' 
Now, it was Johny’s turn to laugh.
He plays a kabaddi player who becomes obsessed with alcohol, after losing his lover, Annie, played by Andrea Jeremiah. As he talks about his pain, suddenly Mammooty says, “The bars have stopped, but not the beverages (The Kerala State Beverages Corporation, which distributes alcohol in the state).” The crowd, at the location, burst into laughter when he said this. “I decided to put it in the film, because of this reaction,” says Johny. “And, sure enough, in the hall, the audience start laughing when Mammooty says this dialogue.” 
(The New Indian Express, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode) 

Good At Everything

Fashion entrepreneur Pernia Qureshi is also an accomplished author, dancer and actressPhoto of Pernia Qureshi by Albin Mathew  Pernia, who had come to give a talk on retail sales, at the India Fashion Summit, last month, is always assessing design styles. That is because she runs a popular online store called 'Pernia's Pop-Up Shop'. Asked how she got the idea, Pernia says, “One day I realised that there was nowhere to shop online for high-quality clothes for Indian women. So I took the plunge four years ago.” The name 'Pop Up' is American in origin. Originally, there were shops in America that appeared at a location for a short while, and then vanished. Pernia named her shop, 'Pop Up', because the collections are there for a little while and then she changes it and puts up new clothes. She does her selection by following her gut feeling, after looking at the silhouette, cut, colours and what works best. “Indians love colour,” she says. “That's because we have so much of colour in our food, clothes and the environment. We are also taught by society that black or white is for mourning.” But since this is luxury wear, the prices usually range anywhere from Rs 2000 to Rs 6 lakh. So far, 450 designers have been featured on the site. “The talent in India is amazing,” she says. And the trends are changing. It is neither Indian or Western, but somewhere in the middle, which is how most people are living these days, she says. Pernia is stylish, as well as accomplished. Having done her schooling in Woodstock at Mussoorie, she did pre-law and criminal justice at George Washington University, USA. But Pernia realised that she loved fashion more. And she was lucky enough to get internships at top fashion magazines like 'Elle' and 'Harper's Bazaar' at New York. “It was the best foundation for me to start a career in the fashion industry,” she says. (The New Indian Express, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram)  

The Final Rest For The Mighty

Captain Puneet Chadha reflects on the contribution of the INS Viraat, as the aircraft carrier gets ready for decommissioning
Photos: Captain Puneet Chadha by Albin Mathew; the ship  “In fact, there is a saying inthe Navy, 'Once a Viraatee always a Viraatee',” says Captain Chadha. “That is the pride we have felt while serving on board this mighty ship.”
As a swift monsoon breeze blows, Captain Chadha looks sombre. “I feel sad that we will be leaving the ship, but, at the same time, I am happy that it can now enjoy a well-deserved retirement,” he says. 
(Sunday Magazine, The New Indian Express, South India and Delhi)

“If you love your profession, it will love you back” – Mohanlal

By Shevlin Sebastian
Photos: Mohanlal on stage; Director Fazil (second from left) presenting the book to Mohanlal. Author Suresh K is at extreme left. At extreme right is actor Mallika Sukumaran. 
Photos by Albin Mathew Once, during a film shoot, actor Siddique’s eyes became bloodshot as he experienced a splitting headache. It made him feel irritated. As he stood at one side, superstar Mohanlal came up to him and said, “I think you have a headache.” Siddique nodded. “I have a solution for you,” said Mohanlal. “Try to enjoy your headache. Close your eyes and say, ‘I am going to enjoy my headache’.”
A smiling Siddique says, “It was very good advice. As I was enjoying my headache, I noticed that the crew members were not enjoying it because I was shouting at them.”
Expectedly, the audience burst into laughter.
Siddique recounted this incident at a function at Kochi where a book on Mohanlal was released. Titled ‘Nadana Vismayam’, it is a compilation of articles which appeared in the Malayalam magazine, ‘Nana’. And all of them were about memories of Mohanlal by the people who were closely associated with him. The author is Nana senior journalist Suresh K.
At the function, not surprisingly, many top Mollywood figures were present: directors Shaji Kailas, Ranjith Shankar, Major Ravi, B. Unnikrishnan, Anil Radhakrishnan, and actors like Manoj K Jayan, Edavena Babu, Shweta Menon and Mallika Sukumaran.
Among the speakers was director Fazil, who said, “Mohanlal has entertained three generations of film-goers. In my estimate, he is in the top ten of world cinema. Sometimes, he has acted with his eyes, sometimes, with his face, sometimes with his body, and soul. Like Mammooty, he cannot be contained within the covers of a book.”
Said scriptwriter P. Balachandran, “In front of the camera, Mohanlal the person turns invisible and becomes the character he is playing. It is magic.”
The object of all this adulation looked resplendent in a green shirt, black trousers and shining brown shoes. Moved by all the tributes, when it was his turn to speak, Mohanlal said, “I have been on this journey of cinema for 37 years. All the people who are present here have helped me. I have always been committed to my work. I believe that if you love your profession, the profession will love you back. Finally, I have to thank God for everything that has happened in my life.” 
The book has been brought out by Lipi publications and is priced at Rs 250. 
(The New Indian Express, Kochi) 

The Perennial Charm Of Lord Ganesha

Noted sexologist Dr. Prakash Kothari has a secret passion: that of collecting Ganeshas
Photos by Ratheesh Sundaram
By Shevlin Sebastian
One day, last year, noted sexologist Dr. Prakash Kothari saw a silver coin at ‘Todywalla Auctions’ at Mumbai. On one side was written 'Sree Ganapati' (Lord Ganesha), and on the other, Sree Pantpradhan (Prime Minister). Ganapati was the family God of the Peshwa rulers of Maharashtra (1674-1818).
Kothari was immediately attracted to it. He felt a desire to obtain it. But Malcolm Todywalla said that there were several buyers. Kothari said that he would pay the highest price. Malcolm nodded.
When the auction took place, a tense Kothari remained at home.
The next day Malcolm called him up. And Kothari hastily swallowed when he was told the price he would have to pay would be Rs 4.75 lakh. Nevertheless, he kept his side of the bargain.
Kothari is one of the leading Ganesha collectors in India. Apart from coins, he has small statues in terracotta, metal, bronze, brass, copper, silver, and gold. “I have the rarest collection of Ganeshas, from the first to the 20th century,” says Kothari, while on a recent visit to Kochi. These include a Ganesha with three braids. The seller came to Kothari and said it was a fake Ganesha. So he bought it for a few hundred rupees.
However, when Kothari was leafing through the book, 'Ganesha The Enchanter of the Three Worlds', by Paul Martin-Dubost, on the third page he saw a full-page picture of Ganesha with the same three braids. The 15th century ivory statue was stored in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. “But what I have is in bronze,” says Kothari.
He also has an extensive collection of stamps. During pre-Independence, there was a state called Duttia in Madhya Pradesh. This was the only state which came out with stamps on Ganesha. “There were stamps of half-anna, one anna, two anna, and four annas in 1890,” says Kothari, He also has stamps from Thailand, Indonesia, Czechoslovakia, USA, Sri Lanka and Singapore. Apart from the stamps, there are envelopes and postcards.
But his collection began rather accidentally. On a Friday, a few years ago, Kothari had gone to Mumbai's Chor Bazar. While there, he saw a beautiful bull on a 20 mm sealing. Below it, there was something written in the Brahmi script. And, on the other side, Kothari saw a Lord Ganesha with two hands.
Curious, Kothari bought it. And thereafter, he took the help of renowned researchers to find out the period to which it belonged. The Pune-based archaeologist and Padma Shree awardee Dr. Madhukar Keshav Dhavalikar said it could be the third or fourth century. Shrinivas H. Ritti, a professor of epigraphy and ancient history at Karnataka University, Dharwad, said it could be fourth or fifth century. Kothari sent a photo of it to Shailendra Bhandare, Assistant Keeper (South Asian Numismatics), at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, who said it could be the third or fourth century AD.
The oldest epigraphic evidence of Ganesha, belonging to 531 AD, was found in northern China. “In India, there have been Ganeshas after the sixth century AD,” says Kothari. “So, in effect, with a third or fourth century Ganesha, I have the oldest one in the world.”
Asked about his plans regarding his collection, Kothari says he will be bringing out a 120-page coffee table book. “And I expect it to do well, since Ganesha is the most celebrated deity in Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Tantrism,” he says. 
(The New Indian Express, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode)

Nothing Is Easy

Brazilian professor João Vicente Ganzarolli de Oliveira talks about the problems faced by the disabled all over the world
Photos:  João Vicente Ganzarolli de Oliveira by Ratheesh Sundaram; Emperpr Asoka
It is not surprising that India, with its huge population, has 26 million disabled people (2011 figures). “But this may not be the actual figure,” says Ganzarolli. “The majority of the disabled remain hidden inside their homes, because of a lack of support, as well as self-belief and confidence. When you see a man on a wheelchair, he is already a winner in life.”
(The New Indian Express, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram)  

The Heart Of The Matter

Investigative journalist Josy Joseph has written a best-selling non-fiction book, A Feast of Vultures: The Hidden Business of Democracy in India
By Shevlin Sebastian
In the past 25 years, noted investigative journalist Josy Joseph has changed jobs eight times. “That is because many of my stories could not get published,” he says. “So I had to move on.” With a touch of bittersweet wit, he saved the rejected stories in a computer folder called 'Morgue'.
Josy recounted this incident during the Kochi Biennale Foundation’s ‘Let’s Talk’ series held in the city on Thursday. He has just published a non-fiction book called, A Feast of Vultures: The Hidden Business of Democracy in India.
Josy was in conversation with Hormis Tharakan, the former Inspector-General of Police in Kerala. “Josy is in eternal quest of the elusive truth,” says Hormis. “He has a racy style of writing, but it does not diminish the importance of what he is writing.”
The book is heading towards the best-sellers lists, and takes a deep look at the endemic corruption at the core of Indian democracy. “It is about the kind of people who have been running India for the past 60 years,” says Josy. “There are many celebrated business leaders who have exploited the poor. Somehow, as a people, we are unable to distinguish between right and wrong.” 
The subjects include a focus on the aviation sector, with its underworld links, the role of middlemen, the shenanigans in the private sector, and a chapter called, 'The Big League'. It took nine years to write, because for every fact that he wrote, he ensured that there are documents to prove its authenticity.
Asked how corruption can end, he says, “The day political funding becomes transparent, corruption will end.” 
As Josy moves around the country, he is enthused by the response of the youth towards his book. “They are very excited by it,” he says. “Everybody feels that the status quo cannot go on, because Indians are losing hope in the various institutions of governance. Things have to change.”