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The one-day programme, on the Agrawal community, organised by 'Ethnicity--The Cochin Heritage Research Centre' of the English department of St. Albert's College, was a thumping success

Photos by Melton Antony

By Shevlin Sebastian

“Who is the most famous Agrawal in the world?” says compere Akshay Agrawal.

“[Actor] Kajal Agrawal,” shout the students of St. Albert's College, Kochi.

Akshay burts out laughing and says, “No, it is Lakshmi Mittal [the London-based steel magnate].”

All of them had gathered in the college quadrangle to take part in 'Agrotsav', a one-day programme, which highlighted the culture, heritage, history and food of the Agrawal community.

The chief guest was Shabareesh Varma, the noted singer, who sent the youngsters into a frenzy of dancing, with his rendition of the hit song, 'Malare Ninne kanathirunal', from 'Premam'.

Soon, the lamp was lit in front of the photo of the community founder Maharaja Agrasen, who was born in 3125 BC. “This was during the Mahabarata period,” says Shyam Sundar Agarwal, chairman of the festival.

Thereafter, College Manager Fr. Antony Arackal inaugurated the snacks section at one side. The food included samosas, puris, kachori and different types of juices. Rajesh, the caterer, is from Rajashtan. “I have been living in Kochi for several years and provide food for all events of the Agrawal community,” he says.

The event was organised by 'Ethnicity--The Cochin Heritage Research Centre', of the Department of English. “Kochi is a melting pot,” says Nisha Thomji, the head of the department. “We felt it is necessary to study the various communities, who have settled in Kochi, like the Jews, the Gujaritis and the Konkanis. Last year, we had done programmes on the Goud Saraswat Brahmins as well as the Anglo-Indian community.” Incidentally, the centre was established in 2009 by Dr. Edward Edezhath, the former Associate Professor in English.

For this particular programme, it was noted writer KL Mohana Varma, who is also the chairman of the Centre, who came up with the idea. “I have been friends with Shyam Sundar for a long time,” he says. “It is a vibrant community and noted for its charitable works.”

The Agrawal community comprises only 150 families in Kochi, but they run around ten charitable institutions. “All of us are doing business,” says Rajkumar Agrawal. “But we also feel it important to give to society. Charity and donation are in our blood.”

Later, a seminar took place where speakers spoke about the history of the community as well as its culture and heritage. "This was arranged by the members of the Agrawal Yuva Mandal, especially office-bearers Akshay, Naren and Vinay Singhal," says Shyam Sundar.

There were also dances and a fashion show.

The younger Akshay, expectedly, belongs to the second generation. “I grew up in Kochi and can speak Malayalam well,” he says. “At home, I eat both North as well as South Indian food. I am also an alumni of St. Albert's. Many of our community members have passed out from this college.”

As for Shyam Sundar, a member of the first generation, he came to Kochi in 1987. “I grew up in Salem, which is a dry place,” he says. “So Kerala, with its rains, is like heaven for me.” Despite many warnings from community members, he set up a flour mill in Kochi, went through labour problems, which almost closed down his unit, but managed to survive. Later, he built a steel factory and is now a prosperous businessman.

Shyam Sundar's wife, Durga, says, “I love Kochi for its greenery, cleanliness, and peace. We have assimilated easily into the liberal Kerala culture and have many Malayali friends. They are kind and friendly.”

Famous Agrawals

Sunil Mittal - Airtel

Naresh Goyal - Jet Airways

Rahul Bajaj - Bajaj

Gautham Singhania - Raymond

Subhash Chandra - Zee TV

(Published in The New Indian Express, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram)

Rajeev Ravi's gritty and hard-hitting hit film, 'Kammattipaadam' marks the arrival of a major talent

Photos: A scene from the film, 'Kammattipaadam'; director Rajeev Ravi. Photo by Mithun Vinod

By Shevlin Sebastian

Sound Designer Renganaath Ravee stepped out, after a morning show at the Inox Cinema, in Mumbai, recently, with a dazed look on his face. He had just watched the Mollywood hit, 'Kammattipaadam', directed by Rajeev Ravi.

“The direction was absolutely fantastic,” says Renganaath, who works in Mollywood and Bollywood. “I also liked the sounds, camera angles and the music. Lots of people were fans of [Mollywood directors] Bharathan and Padmarajan in the 1980s and wanted to emulate them. But, in this generation, it is Rajeev Ravi who is in the forefront. He is the new creative force in Mollywood.”

Another fan is Rajeev's Bollywood colleague Anurag Kashyap. The director tweeted: “Don’t miss ‘Kammattipaadam’. One of the best gangster/brotherhood films from India. Rajeev Ravi – the boss.”

The film is a gritty and unsparing look at the transformation of Kochi, post-liberalisation, in the 1990s. In fact, there did exist a huge expanse of land, called 'Kammattipaadam', in central Kochi, which consisted of paddy fields and mud tracks. But unscrupulous businessmen, taking the help of the youngsters of the Dalit community, got people forcibly evicted from lands, or paid them meagre sums, so that multi-storeyed buildings could come up. “In the last thirty years, there has been a massive 'development' in Kochi,” says Rajeev.

The film features leading star Dulquer Salman, apart from Vinayakan, Vinay Forrt, Shine Tom Chacko, Manikandan R. Achari, and debut heroine, Shaun Romy. But it was Manikandan who has stolen the show with his dynamic performance as a Dalit hoodlum called Balan.

“I did take a big risk by casting Manikandan,” says Rajeev. “But the theatre artists who brought him to me, Sujith Shanker and Vijay Kumar, said that he is a big talent. And he is.”

Asked why the film did well, Rajeev says, “The story of land-grabbing, for real-estate development, is something everybody is familiar with. So they felt an emotional connection

with the film.”

However, for Rajeev, the inspiration for the film happened when one day, a few years ago, an image came unbidden to his mind. As an eight-year-old, he had just arrived, with his family, at Ernakulam South railway station. The family lived in Pathankot, because Rajeev's father worked in the Air Force. “One of my uncles picked me up and all I could see was an endless expanse of paddy fields,” says Rajeev. “It was beautiful. Now all that is gone.”

He passed all these memories to veteran scriptwriter P. Balachandran who has produced a taut and fast-moving script. This is Rajeev's third film. The earlier two were also received well: 'Annayum Rasoolum' and 'Njan Steve Lopez'.

Apart from this, he is one of Bollywood's leading cinematographers. Some of the films he has worked on, include 'Chandni Bar', 'Dev-D', 'Gangs of Wasseypur Part 1 and 2', 'Bombay Velvet' and 'Udta Punjab'. In 2010, he won the Filmfare Award for Best Cinematography for 'Dev D', as well as the national award for his wife, Geetu Mohandas' film, 'Liar's Dice'.

But it is as a director that Rajeev is expected to continue hitting the bull's eye. One who thinks so is Vinay Forrt, who has acted in 'Kammattipaadam': “If you want to make a good film about politics or human relationships, you should have some content inside you,” he says. “And Rajeev has it.”

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

COLUMN: LOCATION DIARY

Tini Tom speaks about his experiences in the films, 'Pattalam', 'Indian Rupee' as well as 'Pranchiyettan and the Saint'

Photo by Melton Anthony

By Shevlin Sebastian

Director Lal Jose had seen Tini Tom on mimicry shows and selected him for the Mammooty starrer 'Pattalam' (2003). On the set, Lal Jose noticed Tini's height and decided to give him the role of a soldier, along with [actor] Joju George. After a while, 400 real-life soldiers arrived.

As they waited on the sets, a black Mitsubishi Lancer came up. Out stepped Major Ravi, who had yet to start his career as a Mollywood director. He wore black sunglasses and a black jacket. The major lit a cigarette and shouted, “Attention. We will do a march past.”

So, Tini and Joju took their places among the soldiers. “It was only when we started marching that we realised how difficult it is to do it,” says Tini. “Because of us, the soldiers kept banging into each other.”

Major Ravi saw Tini, and said, “I know you. Which battalion do you belong to?”

Tini said, “Sir, I am from Kochi.”

A puzzled Major Ravi said, “There is no battalion in Kochi.”

Tini said, “I belong to a troupe.”

He said, “Which troop? And you took part in which war?”

Finally Tini said, “The biggest problem is that a few letters have been changed. I am from the mimicry and not the military.”

Finally, Major Ravi understood. A smiling Tini says, “This was my first experience on a film set.”

Tini's first proper role was in 'Pranchiyettan and the Saint' (2010), where he played a Mercedes Benz driver, called Subramaniam, who drove Mammooty around at the location in Thrissur.

But Tini's role was brief. After his work was over, he would drive the Mercedes Benz to the hotel where he was staying. One day, at the reception, he overheard one employee telling another, “This is the magic of cinema. One day you arrive in an Indica and the next day you can afford a Mercedes Benz.”

Meanwhile, in 'Indian Rupee' (2011), Tini played a real estate agent called Hameed. The hero, as well as the producer, was Prithviraj. In the initial days, at Kozhikode, there was a shoot, which involved fish. However, this did not appear in the final cut.

These were expensive pomfret, costing Rs 2500. On the first day, because of rains, the shoot was cancelled. This happened on the next three days. So, Tini told Prithviraj, “You are spending so much of money on the fish. Maybe you could provide it for our meals.”

A smiling Prithviraj said, “When you have dinner tonight, note the taste of the fish. It is yesterday's fish.”

That was when Tini realised Prithviraj was a good producer. “He had not wasted the fish,” says Tini. “Prithviraj had ensured that the crew ate it on all the days.”

On the set, Tini befriended the veteran actor Thilakan, who died in 2012. “Thilakan Sir would give me a lot of advice,” says Tini. “One day, he told me that eating too much rice and halwa is not good.”

But during lunchtime, Tini noticed that Thilakan was having both without any problems. So he approached the veteran and said, “Sir, you told me to control the intake of rice and halva, otherwise the sugar levels will go up.”

Tilakan replied, “I can do anything I want. I am supposed to be a person who creates problems (at that time, Thilakan was having a tussle with the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes). Everyone says I don't listen to anybody. But you can listen to me.”

(The New Indian Express, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode)

COLUMN: LOCATION DIARY

Captain Raju talks about his experiences in the films, 'Raktam', 'Aana' and Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha'

Photos: Capt. Raju with his wife Premila. Photo by TP Sooraj. MT Vasudevan Nair (left) with Capt. Raju

By Shevlin Sebastian

In the film, ‘Raktam’ (1981), Capt. Raju had a fight sequence with Madhu at the Rama Varma club at Kochi. The crew had placed small sheets of wood (the pattika) of an old house on the floor. As Madhu hit Capt. Raju, with a shovel, the latter fell on the wood.

Mollyood legends Prem Nazir, Soman and Srividya were watching silently.

Once the shot was over, Prem Nazir said, “Captain Raju, please come here.”

When the actor went near, Prem Nazir said, “Captain, look carefully at the wood. There are numerous nails sticking out. I understand your anxiety to do well. This is your first film. But you have to be careful. If you fall and a nail enters you, especially if it is your face, then what will happen? Director Joshy will say, ‘Pack up’. Then you will have to be taken to the hospital to be given a tetanus injection because the nails are rusted. And your career might come to a stop before it has started.”

At his first-floor apartment, at Kochi, a moved Capt. Raju, 66, who has acted in more than 400 films, says, “Which superstar will tell something like this to a newcomer? I have never forgotten it. Prem Nazir Sir was a star with so much of humanity.”

However, owing to the compulsions of shooting, Capt. Raju did take some risks. In ‘Aana’ (1983), directed by P. Chandrakumar, the shoot took place in a forest at Koothatukulam. The ‘Aana’ was an elephant from Uttar Pradesh, who would only listen to instructions in Hindi. In one scene, the elephant chases a forest officer played by Capt. Raju.

As the captain started running, he came in front of a tall tree which had a long creeper hanging from it. “Chandrakumar Sir shouted at me to grab the creeper and climb up,” says Capt. Raju. “Since I had done rock climbing during my military training, I had strong biceps and triceps. So I went up swiftly and reached a height of 40 feet.”

Down below, Capt Raju heard the mahout shout, “Pull at the creeper.”

The elephant pulled so hard that Capt Raju found himself hurtling towards the ground. The crew below looked shocked. Chandrakumar shouted, “Oh my God.”

Luckily, the tree had a fork and the creeper got stuck. “I stopped just two feet away from the upturned tusks,” says Capt. Raju. “Otherwise, I would have been gored to death.”

The panic-stricken crew rushed Capt Raju to the hospital, but there was not much damage. “There was skin lacerations on the shoulders and the back, as well as a pain in my legs,” says Capt. Raju. “God saved my life.”

Capt. Raju had another life-enhancing moment. This was during the shoot of 'Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha' (1989), which was based on a script by Jnanpith Award winner MT Vasudevan Nair. Capt. Raju plays kalarippayattu master Aringodar who has a fight with Aromal, played by Suresh Gopi. After the encounter, Aringodar sits on a chair, places his right leg on top of his left knee, and drinks a green coconut. Then Aromal says, “You fought in the wrong way.”

Aringodar stopped drinking, threw the coconut behind him, and said, “There is a lack of knowledge on your part. That is all that I have to say.”

After the shot was over, Capt. Raju got a pat on his shoulders. “When I looked back, I saw that it was MT,” says Capt. Raju. “He was showing his appreciation of my acting. I will never forget it. It was like winning the Oscar.”

(The New Indian Express, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode)

By Shevlin Sebastian

Photos: Captain Radhika; with the crew and the rescued fishermen

Radhika Menon, the captain of the oil tanker, 'Sampurna Swarajya', and the first Merchant Navy woman captain, is to receive the 2016 International Maritime Organisation Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea. This is for her role in the rescue of seven fishermen from a sinking fishing boat off the coast of Orissa. She is also the first woman to win this award. It will be presented to Radhika at a function of the IMO at London on November 21.

“Captain Menon displayed great determination and courage in leading the difficult rescue operation in the Bay of Bengal in June last year,” says a member of the IMO.

A thrilled Radhika says, from her ship at Mumbai, “The news has not yet sunk in. To be honest, I was not trying to win any award when I initiated the rescue operation. Instead, I considered it my duty. But, yes, the recognition from the IMO is memorable and I am humbled and honoured.”

Incidentally, this is her second award. On April 5, National Maritime Day, the National Maritime Day Celebration Committee of India conferred the 'Seafarers Gallantry Award' on Radhika.

The rescue mission took place at noon, on June 22, 2015. Second officer Manoj Chauhan noticed a boat two-and-a-half kms away, off the coast of Gopalpur, Orissa. Owing to a deep depression there were fierce winds and rains. The wind speed was 60 to 70 knots, while the waves rose to a height of 25-27 feet. As a result, the boat was being tossed up and down.

Manoj informed Radhika. “When I looked through my binoculars, the men were waving their shirts and asking for help,” says Radhika, who is from Kodungallur. Radhika immediately ordered a rescue operation.

Because of the turbulent sea, it took three attempts before all seven were rescued. The fishermen, who ranged in age from the 15-year old Perla Mahesh to Narasimha Murthy, 50, were in bad shape. They were weak, starving and frightened. The food and water had been washed away. They survived by sucking on ice cubes from the cold storage, which is used for preserving the fish.

(The New Indian Express, Kerala edition)

On a recent visit to Kochi, Bertrand de Hartingh, the Cultural Counsellor of the French Embassy, talks about a host of subjects regarding India and France

Photo by Ratheesh Sundaram

By Shevlin Sebastian

At 5.30 p.m., on a Tuesday, last month, Bertrand de Hartingh, the Cultural Counsellor of the French Embassy at Delhi was about to stride into the Chavara Cultural Centre in Kochi. But he stopped suddenly because a group of chenda players were giving a spirited performance. This was part of the celebrations of the opening of the new Annexe of the Alliance Francaise.

The annexe is a spacious set-up with a hall and several large rooms. Posters of various images of France hung on the walls. “The opening of the annex at its own premises in Kochi is one of the biggest achievements of the past few years,” says Alice Gauny, the director of the Alliance Francaise of Thiruvananthapuram. “From now on we have a space in which we can teach, organise events, and develop partnerships and activities.”

Bertrand nods as he cuts the ribbon and lavishes praise on Alice. Just four months into his new assignment, Bertrand has already fallen in love with India. “I have been charmed by the intelligence and the dynamism of the people, and their readiness to have a look at everything, with open eyes,” he says. “I immediately felt that India is a place where I can learn a lot.”

He is also fascinated by Kerala. “It is a complex state,” says Bertrand. “Kerala has the highest rates for education, a low child mortality rate, and many other achievements. On the other hand, when you travel across Kerala, you can see garbage here and there. And then you think, 'How can such an obviously intelligent people allow this?'”

But Bertrand says France and Kerala are similar. “In both places, people like to laugh, tell jokes, read, have chats, enjoy nature and the arts. Both have a heritage which has lasted for hundreds of years.”

Asked about his work profile, Bertrand says, “My job is to meet and convince people, be it a professor, student, researcher, activist, or media person, that France can be a partner. During my Kochi visit I met Kerala University officials and had discussions on setting up partnerships for vocational training and higher education and businesses.”

There are more than one thousand French businesses in India. These include famous companies like L'Oreal and Schneider Electric. “They have thousands of employees, who make products for the Indian and world market,” says Bertrand. “We believe that by walking along with India in their development journey it will be good for the world.”

But all is not good inside France. It has been hit by a spate of terrorist attacks. “The mood in France is that the people want to heal,” says Bertrand. “Let's go on with what we are. We want to have our democracy the way it has always been.”

However, there is a feeling that there is a rising anti-Muslim bias. But Bertrand says, “I don’t think so. During the attacks at Paris in January, one of the victims was a Muslim policeman. These people use the name of Islam, but they kill everybody. They negate the human value. A lot of French Muslims are horrified by what has happened.”

Yet, despite that, there is an increase in popularity of the Far-Right parties like the National Front. While Bertrand acknowledges it, he says, “All around the world there is a tussle between nationalism and globalism. When people are confident and the economy is doing well, they go for globalism. But if there is a financial crisis, and people become afraid, then they will opt for nationalism.”

(The New Indian Express, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram)

COLUMN: LOCATION DIARY

Ramesh Pisharody talks about his experiences in the films, ‘Amar Akbar Antony’, ‘Nasrani’ and ‘Aadupuliyattam’

Photos by Ratheesh Sundaram

By Shevlin Sebastian

In the film, ‘Amar Akbar Antony’ (2015), where mimicry artist Ramesh Pisharody has a small role, the shooting was at debut director Nadir Shah’s native place of Eloor, Kochi. “Nadir Shah wanted to impress his neighbours,” says Ramesh. On the set, there were stars like Jayasurya and Indrajith. Nadir Shah wore the director’s cap.

“Usually, the director says ‘Roll’ and ‘Action’, and the camera starts to roll,” says Ramesh. “For a couple of times, Nadir Shah said, ‘Roll’ loudly and for various reasons, the camera did not roll.”

A lot of people were watching the shoot. After a while, an elderly man told a relative of Nadir Shah, “There is a shoot taking place in Eloor. And Nadir Shah is begging loudly for a role in films.”

But Ramesh got a role easily. One day, while he was in Thiruvananthapuram, he got a call from production controller Nandakumar Poduval, who told him he had to play a big scene for the film, ‘Nasrani’. Mammooty played the hero while Joshy was the director.

So Ramesh took a night bus and arrived at the location of Kalamassery. There were 300 junior artistes and 15 police jeeps. It was a scene of a riot. Ramesh was given a three page script and told to memorise it. It consisted of the names of people who were critically injured or died in a hospital. He was playing a television reporter Biju Cherian who would tell all these names following a call from the news desk. The shoot was concluded in half a day. “Later, when I was called to do the dubbing, I felt that this was a big scene,” says Ramesh. So, when the film was released, Ramesh eagerly went and saw it at the Saritha cinema.

“There is a scene where Mammooty is sitting in a bar with some friends,” says Ramesh. “Suddenly, all the details of the victims can be heard on a speaker. I was puzzled. My voice can be heard, but I cannot be seen. Suddenly the camera pans to a TV on the wall. And what was when my face was shown. I wanted to tell people that from TV I had reached films, but, in the film, I was back on the TV.”

In ‘Aadupuliyattam’ (2016), in which Jayaram plays the hero, the shooting was at Tenkassi. It was a place which abounded in monkeys. One day, Ramesh, who plays the character of Sunny, had parked his car near a temple which was having a festival. Because of the bursting of firecrackers, a frightened monkey took shelter under the car.

“No matter what we did, shouting and poking it with a stick, the monkey would not move,” says Ramesh. “Somebody suggested placing a banana away from the car. We did so. But the monkey remained unmoved. Then, water was aimed through a hose. Still nothing happened.”

So the car was moved forward slowly. But the monkey also started moving along with it. “If we pressed the accelerator, the monkey would have died,” says Ramesh. “Finally, somebody suggested that we should burst a cracker. So we got one from the temple, lit it, and threw it under the car. The cracker burst, the monkey ran away, but the only problem was that I had to spend Rs 16,000 to repair the underside of the car.”

(Published in The New Indian Express, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode)

Colombian artist Pedro Gómez-Egaña talks about his first impressions of Kochi, as well as his art and life in Norway

Photo by Ratheesh Sundaram

By Shevlin Sebastian

A day after his arrival in Kochi, recently, Colombian artist Pedro Gómez-Egaña, has a dazed look on his face. “There are so many impressions,” says the Norway-based artist, on his first visit to Kerala. “It is going to take me a while to assimilate it.”

But he is much taken up by the dynamism of the city. “Kochi has a particular rhythm,” he says. “By rhythm, I mean, the intensity with which people interact with each other. Like the way they navigate the traffic. The pedestrian rhythm is slow and relaxed and the people walk with a beautiful confidence. The traffic, on the other hand, is frenetic. Although people told me it is aggressive, I did not find it so. There seems to be an interwoven communication between the pedestrians and the car and bus drivers.”

Pedro is one among the ‘First 25’ artists who have been announced as participants for the third Kochi Biennale, which runs from December 12, 2016 to March 29, 2017.

His work is a mix of installation and performance-based works. One striking work is called 'The Chariot of Greenwich'. It is a wooden contraption, with two large wheels, and several gears and was inspired by the Chinese.

“The Chinese built this chariot in 2600 BC,” says Pedro. “It has a complex set of gears and was built in such a way that an arrow always pointed to the South. And it always moved around in a circle. We are also moving, but, many times, it seems to be in circles.”

Like the Chinese chariot, all inventions have their pluses and minuses. “According to French philosopher Paul Virilio, when you invent the ship, you invent the shipwreck,” he says.

“When you invent the plane, you invent the plane crash. And when you invent electricity, you invent electrocution. Every technology has its own negativity.”

Meanwhile, when asked about his life in Bergen, Norway, Pedro says, “A part of me resonates very strongly with Norwegians. I feel at home. They have a romantic streak. That is very Latin American. They also believe in contemplation and solitude and have a beautiful relationship to light and darkness.”

This darkness lasts for six months. Not surprisingly, Pedro, from sunny Colombia, misses the sunlight. “Even if my brain does not feel it, my body does,” he says. “My doctor said that since I was born in the tropics, it will get worse every year. I try to go away. Or I have to take Vitamin D tablets, fish oil and lie under sun lamps. But it is still very tough. The nice thing is that everybody is depressed. And there is a collective agreement that we are going to be moody for the next six months.”

Despite this, Pedro has been working steadily. His works have been shown at the Performa 13 at New York, the Bergen Assembly Triennale, La Kunsthalle in France, the Brussels and Marrakech Biennials, and the Colomboscope in Sri Lanka.

Since he is a frequent international traveller, he is well-placed to identify the global trends in society. “The media is the most powerful force in the world today,” he says. “However, for the first time in history, we not only consume news, but we produce it on our own and share it. As a result, life is being constantly interrupted by SMS messages, Facebook and Whatsapp texts. There is a saturation of information. So, people are in a constant state of distraction. They are unable to engage with anything deeply. It is affecting the brain, relationships and our perception of time.”

(Published in The New Indian Express, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram)

COLUMN: LOCATION DIARY

Director Sachy talks about his experiences in his debut hit film, 'Anarkali'

Photos: Director Sachy by Ratheesh Sundaram; the poster of 'Anarkali'

By Shevlin Sebastian

As director Sachy was about to embark, on a ship, in February, 2015, with the actors and crew of the film, 'Anarkali', for the Lakshadweep Islands, he got a shocking news. The permission to shoot scenes at the islands of Agati, Kavaratti, Bangaram, and Thinnakara had been withdrawn by the island's administrator Rajesh Prasad.

A group called the Sunni Students' Federation had submitted a petition to the Administrator, signed by the Imam of the local mosque, stating that cinema is unIslamic. “I was informed that if shooting commenced, there would be communal problems,” says Sachy.

The director kept calm. “If I told [the actors] Prithviraj, Biju Menon, Priyal Gor, and Miya George about this problem, they would immediately set out for their next films,” says Sachy. So he kept quiet and had a discussion with producer Rajeev Nair and production controller Roshan Chittoor.

The team was supposed to arrive at Kavaratti the next day. But Sachy needed more time to get the order reversed. So he persuaded the captain to change the direction of the ship's journey. The boat would now touch the islands of Bitra, Kiltan and other islands and would reach Kavaratti the day after.

Again, through an influential contact, Sachy was able to inform a senior official of the ministry of external affairs. The official immediately asked the administrator to come to Delhi. So, Rajesh flew by helicopter from Kavaratti to Kochi and then took a flight to Delhi.

While there, the official told Rajesh, “If Lakshadweep is a part of India, then the film shoot will have to take place there, at all costs.” Rajesh cited a possible law-and-order problem and said that he did not have the necessary forces to control the unrest. “We will send central forces,” the official said firmly. Rajesh nodded and flew back. As soon as he reached Kavaratti, Rajesh issued the permission certificate.

Meanwhile, Sachy felt a tension within him as the ship approached the embarkation jetty at Kavaratti. There were 2000 people present, but he was not sure whether they were friendly or antagonistic. “But when we stepped out, they gave us green coconuts to drink, to show their happiness at seeing us,” says Sachy. “I felt so relieved. It became clear that the the majority were in support of us. Later, whereever we had shooting stints, the locals would provide us with food. They were so kind and generous.”

However, when Sachy wanted to do a crowd scene, he faced opposition. The islanders are followers of Islam. “They said that women were not supposed to appear in front of the camera,” says Sachy. “My problem was that I could not show an audience that consisted of only men.”

So Sachy requested the local doctors and engineers to bring their families. That evening, an announcer went around the island in an autorickshaw and announced a performance by Jayaraj Warrier, who was playing Chettuva Shah Jahan, a Mappilapattu singer, in the film. Jayaraj would lip-sync a song called 'Aa Oruthi Avaloruthi', which was sung by Vineeth Sreenivasan and Manjari.

Sachy kept his fingers crossed. But, at the appointed time, a crowd of men, women and children appeared. They listened to the song avidly. “We shot the reactions and the clapping,” says the director, who used three cameras as well as a helicam. “After the song was over, we played it again. Again they clapped. When the third time it happened, people began to drift away. So, we begged a few of them to stay on. That was how we managed to shoot the song.”

Sachy smiles and says, “After all these difficulties, I was so relieved when the film became a bumper hit.”

(The New Indian Express, Kochi, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram)

Dr. Philipose Mar Chrysostom, at 98, is the oldest living Bishop in the world. He looks back on his life

Photo by Ratheesh Sundaram

By Shevlin Sebastian

When Dr Philipose Mar Chrysostom Mar Thoma Valiya Metropolotan comes into his office at Maramon (102 kms from Kochi), on a July morning, it is difficult to believe that he has completed 98 years of age on April 27. His face is unlined, the smile pleasant, and the eyes are twinkling.

Suddenly, I notice the voting mark on his left forefinger, thanks to the state elections held in May. “I have voted in several State and Lok Sabha elections,” says Mar Chrysostom.

But he remembers that the candidates whom he voted for during the first three Assembly elections lost. “When the fourth election came up, the Communists told me, ‘As a Christian you will never vote for us atheists',” says Mar Chrysostom. “So, can you stay away from the voting?'”

But Mar Chrysostom reminded them of the defeats of the earlier candidates, all of them Congressmen. So the Communists said, “Okay, then, can you vote for the Congress again?”

Mar Chrysostom did so. “Unfortunately for the Communists, the Congressman won,” says the Bishop, with a smile.

The oldest living Bishop in the world is famed among Malayalis for his witty sermons and speeches. And he has a specific reason for opting to use humour. “There is no need to be more serious than necessary,” says Mar Chrysostom. “I realised that when I used humour, people regarded me as a friend and felt free to come and talk to me.”

One who did so is superstar Mammooty. At a June 21 public function, held at Kochi, to felicitate the bishop on his advanced age, Mammooty said, “I regard the Bishop as a close friend, who gives me advice on how to lead a meaningful life.”

Meanwhile, underneath the laid-back style, Mar Chrysostom is deeply dedicated to his vocation. And the seeds were planted early in him.

His father, the Very Rev. K. E. Oommen was a priest and became the Vicar General (the highest position among priests). "Right from childhood, because of my parents’ influence, I was committed to the church and God," says Mar Chrysostom.

After his theological studies, Mar Chrysostom became a priest in 1944 and a bishop on May 23, 1953. On October 23, 1999, he was appointed as the supreme head of the Mar Thoma Church. But, in 2007, Mar Chrysostom relinquished his post. Today he is the Mar Thoma Valiya Metropolitan, and continues to travel extensively and give speeches.

Sometimes, he delves into his childhood memories. Once, when he was seven years old, he had gone with his mother to have a bath in the Maramon river. But his mother slipped and fell on the slushy bank. “My mother was very bulky,” says Mar Chrysostom. “So it looked very funny. I started laughing loudly.”

Neighbour Mathew, who was returning from the market, heard the laughter and stopped. “That was when he saw my mother,” says Mar Chrysostom. “So he helped her get up. Later, my mother got upset that he had seen that she had fallen. But I told her, 'Who else could have picked you up? Thank God I laughed. Otherwise, Mathew chettan [elder brother] would not have come'.”

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

Scholar Prof. Amnon Raz-Krakotzkin talks about his country, while on a recent visit to Kochi

Photo by Ratheesh Sundaram

By Shevlin Sebastian

When Prof. Amnon Raz-Krakotzkin of Israel was told that a visitor had come to meet him, he said, “Please, let it be at the end of the talk. This is so interesting.”

Amnon had come to participate in the annual conference on metaphysics and politics conducted by the Backwaters Collective at Kochi. Later, he says, “There is so much to learn from Kerala. Different traditions and identities are co-existing, in the same space, with a lot of respect for each other. I am wondering whether this model can be replicated in other places. In Israel, we need to find a different language, so that people can learn to live together.”

Unfortunately, that is not happening, at present. And the professor, who was the former chair in the department of Jewish history at Ben Gurion University, does not mince his words: “Israeli society has become more and more nationalistic, and anti-Arab. The government [run by Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu] is continuing the process of land confiscation in the West Bank and the closure of the Gaza strip. At the same time, the attitude towards the Arab citizens of Israel has become worse.”

So intense is the Professor that, at one point, with a wave of his hands, he almost sends flying the digital recorder which I hold in my hand.

Meanwhile, Amnon continues in the same vein. “Israel is a colonial power which denies the rights of the Palestinians,” he says. “The question of why we Jews are perpetrating the same suffering which we have suffered at the hands of others throughout our history is a big mystery. But my belief is that if you establish a country [Israel] for victims of persecution, you should be able to understand the plight of victims in other places.”

One reason for the lack of understanding is because Israelis are in a state of fear. “They feel they are surrounded by enemies in the Middle East and don’t know how to protect themselves,” says Amnon.

What is exacerbating matters is the random violence that Israelis are experiencing at the hands of individual Palestinians in their own cities. “On any given day, a 13-year-old Palestinian can pull out a knife and kill somebody,” says Amnon. “These boys have no hope, no education and nothing to look forward to. Every day, they see their parents being humiliated at the check-posts. And so, they are taking revenge. They know that they will be shot, but they don't care.”

Things have come to such a pass, because, for the past ten years, the entire country has been in the grip of right-wing forces. “There is hardly any opposition,” says Amnon. “The left also proclaims separation from the Palestinians and not reconciliation, based on equality and justice. They would like to get rid of the Palestinians because they are keen to maintain the Jewish demographic majority.”

Not surprisingly, Amnon, with his radical views, is in a tiny minority in Israel. “Yes, I am well-known as a pro-Palestinian Israeli,” he says. “In principle, I agree with most of the Palestinian demands. I want total equality between the Jews and Arabs. In the sense I also feel that the Israelis should also have rights in any peace deal.”

For all this to happen, a new leader has to emerge. “He should be someone who will talk a new language of equality, individuality and national equality, which is not there in Israel now,” says Amnon. “There are a few Arab-Jewish groups who are talking about it, but they are not loud enough and do not have any power.”

(The New Indian Express, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram)

COLUMN: LOCATION DIARY

Dharmajan Bolgatty talks about his experiences in the films, 'Paappi Appacha', and 'Puthiya Theerangal'

Photos: Dharmajan Bolgatty; the poster of the film, 'Puthiya Theerangal'

By Shevlin Sebastian

When Dharmajan Bolgatty appeared on the sets of 'Paappi Appacha', at Thodupuzha, in September, 2009, he felt nervous. This was his first role in a Mollywood film. He was supposed to play a sidekick of Dileep called Kuttappi. Soon, after he arrived, he acted in a couple of scenes with Dileep.

Thereafter, associate director Biju Arookutty told Dharmajan that he could take a rest. “I wandered around and found there was no place to sit,” he says. “The area was near a dam and there were few facilities.”

After a while, Dharmajan came near two caravans placed next to each other. There was a Tamil boy who looked after them. Since he had seen Dharmajan acting with Dileep, he assumed that the former was a big shot and opened the door. So Dharmajan stepped in.

“It looked so comfortable,” says Dharmajan. “There was a nice bed, a TV as well as a small washroom. After a while I lay down and went off to sleep.”

Outside, debutant director Mamas wanted to change a scene which had been shot earlier. Dharmajan was called for, but they could not find him. They searched everywhere.

Finally, Dileep got tired of waiting. So, he decided to have a rest. However, when he stepped inside, he got a shock: there was Dharmajan lying on his bed. Dileep said, “Dharmajan, you are sleeping peacefully, while everybody is frantically searching for you.”

Dharmajan sat up in shock.

Meanwhile, Dileep stepped outside and shouted, “He is right here.”

The crew members rushed up. “Cameraman Sanjeev Shankar was so angry that I had slept in Dileep's bed he would have sacked me on the spot,” says Dharmajan. “What saved me was that Dileep was not shocked or surprised. I think he was used to my style and liked it.” Soon, the shoot resumed once again.

Meanwhile, Dharmajan had an entirely different experience on the sets of Sathyan Anthikad's 'Puthiya Theerangal' (2012). Along with Dharmajan, veteran actress Molly Kannamaly (popularly known as Molly Chechi) also had a role. During the shoot at Allapuzha, they stayed at the Hotel Regency. While Molly was staying on the ground floor Dharmajan was on the first floor. “Sometimes we had our meals together,” says Dharmajan.

Once when they were doing so, in his room, Dharmajan got a call on his mobile. It was his friend Suresh (name changed), a businessman, who travelled often to Allapuzha. “When he heard that I was in Allapuzha, he said he wanted to come and meet me,” says Dharmajan. “I said, 'No, it may not be right, because I have a woman with me. She is my girlfriend'.”

Suresh threatened that he would inform Dharmajan's wife. So Dharmajan quickly said, “Please don't tell her, but you can come.”

Dharmajan then told Suresh that he might not be in the room because he had to go for an urgent discussion in [fellow actor] Unni Mukundan's room. But Dharmajan said, “You can come and enjoy. I will leave the door unlocked.” Suresh quickly took the room number from Dharmajan.

Then Dharmajan told Molly Chechi to cover herself with the sheet and lie on the bed. Once she did so, he stepped out and hid further down the corridor. “After a while, I saw Suresh come quietly, like a thief,” says Dharmajan. “He came and stood in front of the room, looked quickly to the left and right. And then he slowly opened the door and went in. For a a few moments there was a complete silence. Molly Chechi told me later that Suresh slowly removed the sheet from her face. But when he saw that it was an old woman, Suresh let out a string of abuses and left the room in a hurry.”

(The New Indian Express, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode)

Best-selling author Sudeep Nagarkar talks about his latest novel, as well as his writing career

Photo of Sudeep Nagarkar by Ratheesh Sundaram

By Shevlin Sebastian

Sudeep Nagarkar is feeling a bit groggy at mid-morning in Kochi. “That's because I had to get up at 3 a.m., to catch a flight,” says the Mumbai-based author. It is his first visit to the coastal city. But the news from the Penguin-Random House company representative is good.

His seventh and latest novel, 'She Swiped Right Into My Heart', is flying off the shelves. It is not surprising since Sudeep has an easy and engaging style, and readers tend to turn the pages swiftly.

In the novel, one of the lead characters is Geet, a nerdy girl, who gets teased mercilessly in college. The others include the beautiful Shibani, her introverted sister, Tushita, handsome Rudra and the sensitive Vivaan. Some of the themes Sudeep has tackled include friendship, romance, relationship-setbacks, inferiority feelings, and a complex sexuality.

“My books have done well, because it connects with youngsters,” says the 28-year-old. “Though the theme of all seven books is romance, it is not an out-and-out love story. For example, in 'It Started With a Friend Request', I have tried to show, that, in today's Facebook world, we can make friends easily, but, at the same time, there is a chance of getting betrayed.”

But Sudeep's fans have remained steadfast. Sometime ago, an 18-year-old reader, Meeta (name changed), arrived at his home on his birthday, and gave him a gift. It was an eight-feet high calendar plus greeting card, in which Meeta had pasted 350 photos of Sudeep. “She had collected them from Google and my Facebook account,” he says. “It was an amazing gift, which is still hanging in my bedroom.”

Interestingly, he also has fans outside India. “My e-books are selling in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Dubai, Britain, and the US,” he says. “The paperbacks are sold only in India. I believe that one day the western world will accept our style. The major impediment is that romance, for them, remains erotica, while, for us, it is all about emotions. So, when I describe a bedroom scene I tend to portray it with feeling, rather than through technicalities.”

It has been an unlikely career trajectory for Sudeep. He had passed out from the Datta Meghe college of engineering in Navi Mumbai, followed by a MBA from the Welingkar Institute of Management. But problems on the relationship front made him turn to writing. And he discovered that he had a knack for it. Thus far, Sudeep has sold over a million copies, and that gave him the impetus to become a full-time writer in 2013.

Meanwhile, even as he is working on his novels, Sudeep is constantly communicating with his readers through Whatsapp, Facebook and text messages. “Readers want an interaction with the author,” he says. “So, it is important to reply.”

On an average, Sudeep gets about 250 messages daily. He admits that he does get overwhelmed at times. “But, at the same time, it is nice that people are showing appreciation,” he says. “The more you interact, the more you realise the flaws in your writing and you can make changes.”

In his earlier books, Sudeep would put in a lot of Hindi poems. But when people in South India told him they did not understand the language, he stopped using them. “I felt it to be a genuine criticism,” he says. “My aim is to keep improving all the time.”

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

The self-taught sculptor George Francis has made a striking bust of Pope Francis

Photo of George Francis by Ratheesh Sundaram

By Shevlin Sebastian

Every now and then, George Francis would read articles on Pope Francis. Sometimes, he would watch him on TV. And gradually, an admiration grew within him.

“There are many Popes who have shied away from difficult subjects, but Pope Francis has always tackled them with courage, including the sexual abuse of children by priests,” says George. “Also, he seemed to be a man of kindness and friendship. I became a fan. One day, there arose a desire in me to do a real-life image of him.”

At his home in Tripunithara, George made a clay model, and, from it, a silicon mould. Then he poured wax on it. After it had dried, he took it to Harikrishnan, a bronzesmith, who lives in Piravom. There, it was wrapped in clay for a week. Thereafter, it was heated.

“When that happens, the clay becomes hard, while the wax melts,” says George. “It was on the clay that the molten bronze is poured.” The end result is a one-foot high bust, which weighs 23 kgs. It is striking how real the Pope looks. “I used sandpaper to polish the model,” says George.

It took six months for George to finish the work because he worked only on the weekends. That's because he is working as a Creative Lead, at Kochi, for a Singapore-based IT company. But when the company came to know about his sculpting skills, they changed his timings. “Now, my office time is from 12 to 9 p.m.,” says George. “Hence, I am able to work on my sculpting from 6 to 11 a.m.”

Sculpting is, indeed, a passion for him. But the Pope is not his first work. While he was studying for his degree in advertising, at the RLV College of Music and Fine Arts, his friend, Vincent Variyath, the parish priest of the St. Sebastian church, at Kochi, asked him to make an angel for the cemetery.

So, George began to think about it. “I felt that the speciality of angels is that they have such large wings,” he says. “So I decided to make a wing span of 14 ft., while the angel has a height of 8 ft.”

George used cement for the body and fibre for the wings. “The angel is standing on his toes, because I wanted people to have a 'wow' feeling,” says George.

And indeed, you do get a wow feeling when you look at the work. And George, too, experienced a wow feeling on the personal front. He would take drawing classes for children at the church. There, he met the Catechism teacher Amritha. They became friends. Soon after, they fell in love. The duo got married two years ago. Amritha has just completed her M. Phil from the Cochin University of Science and Technology.

Interestingly, the impulse to work with his hands came from his own father, who was a mechanic. “I would help my father every now and then,” he says.

Meanwhile, George has an unusual definition of his talent. “I am the medium that allows God's creativity to come through,” he says. “When I made the angel, at one point I fell stuck. But when I continued to work hard, the magic happened, and it all came through well. So, it is not my own skills. I feel I am a tool of God.”

(The New Indian Express, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram)

The Chief Digital Officer of New York City, Sreenath ('Sree') Sreenivasan talks about digital trends in India and abroad, while on a recent visit to Kochi

Photo of Sreenath Sreenivasan by Ratheesh Sundaram

By Shevlin Sebastian

On Wall Street, New York, there is a game that people play. As a group, they go for dinner and put their phones in the middle of the table. Then the group orders expensive dishes.

“Meanwhile, the rule is that whoever touches the phone first has to pay for the entire group,” says tech guru Sreenath ('Sree') Sreenivasan, with a smile. “So we wait patiently. It is inevitable that somebody will lose patience and reach for the phone.”

Technology is ubiquitous all over the world. “But you have to keep tabs on it,” says Sree, the son of former diplomat TP Sreenivasan. “Left alone, the people who determine what happens with the technology will always make bad decisions. For example, it's great to connect with the world through Facebook, or Whatsapp. But what about the issues of security, the surreptitious collection of data and loss of privacy?”

You can end up in prison because of the lack of privacy. “During the Arab Spring, technology and Facebook played a great role,” says Sree. “But, at the same time, the government used the same technology to identify the protestors and imprison them. As people in a democracy, we have to be ever-watchful.”

Incidentally, the New-York based Sree had come to Kochi, after a gap of 30 years, to give a few talks on the role of the digital media in the present-day world.

Asked the future of the print media in India, he says, “When I look at the digital properties of Indian newspapers, they look like they were made in 2005. When I watch TV and the shouting festivals they have, my blood pressure goes up. There is a breaking news all the time. It is like trying to break your attention all the time. On Malayalam channels, the news is read in a fast, emotional and exaggerated manner. As a result, it is not natural at all.”

He suggests a different kind of journalism. “One of the things we could do better is to give people information that is helpful, and will make their lives better,” says Sree. “Newspapers should provide context, analysis, and background. We need explainers. If you had listened to [former US President] Bill Clinton's speech at the Democratic National Convention, at Philadephia, he came across as an explainer-in-chief. People need explanations because there is too much going on too fast.”

And this is also changing the way the brain works. “We are in the biggest experiment in human history,” says Sree. “There is a great book which has analysed these changes.” This is 'The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains' by Nicholas Carr.

Incidentally, Sree has just finished a three-year stint at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, at New York, one of the largest in the world, as the chief digital officer.

“My job was to help tell stories to our visitors [6 million annually] and make it more digital within the institution,” he says. “One of my colleagues coined a great term, 'tradigital' - traditional with the digital. I love the word because it gives people an idea of what we need: to be successful, you need to be traditional as well as have a digital overlay in everything you do.”

And Sree will be following this concept in his new job: he has just become the Chief Digital Officer of New York City. “I will be working with 3 lakh government employees and 8.5 million citizens to use digital and tech in smarter ways,” he says.

A Stellar Career

Chief Digital Officer of New York City

A former Chief Digital Officer of Columbia University and the Metropolitan Museum of Art

5-time TEDx speaker

Professor of digital media at Columbia Journalism School for 20 years

Founder of global learning opportunities such as Social Media Master Class, Social Media Day, Social Media One-Night Stand, and Social Media Weekend

Co-founder of the South Asian Journalists Association, a group of 1,000+ journalists, of South-Asian origin, in the US and Canada

Founding administrator of the Online Journalism Awards, the world's largest digital journalism contest

(The New Indian Express, Kochi, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram)

By Shevlin Sebastian

Photos: Shyamaprasad. Pic by Ratheesh Sundaram; Manju Warrier

“99 women are sexually abused in India every single day,” says actor Manju Warrier. “However, in Kerala, it is one-and-a-half times the national average.” Manju was providing the commentary for the six-minute film, ‘Freedom From Fear’, which has been made by the Mollywood director Shyamaprasad.

It details the story of 23-year-old Ajitha, who works in a bank as a junior officer. Her reserve and aloofness prompts colleagues to do an online search. It is then discovered that she had been a rape victim during her college days.

“A woman’s world is turned upside down when she is abused sexually,” says Manju, who speaks with emphasis and strength, and yet with a residue of anger.

The film details how Ajitha is finally able to overcome her trauma through counselling, the support of the bank manager, as well as her family.

‘Freedom From Fear’ has been brought out by the NGO Bodhini, in association with the Rotary Club of Cochin Metropolis. And it has been sponsored by the Federal Bank. The movie was released by Justice Jayshankar Nambiar at a function in Kochi recently.

“Any change that we need to bring in society has to be done through the elite,” says the judge. “And that's what Rotarians are. They are leaders of society. If the message is spread by them into society, the people who look up at them, as their leaders, will follow them.”

Meanwhile, Shyamaprasad said, “Whenever I make a fiction film, people ask me for a message. It is difficult to answer such a question. That is why I feel happy to do a documentary where I can convey a message. This is my third film and it has been a great process.”

Earlier, Reena Sabin of Bodhini spoke about the mission of the NGO, which is a movement against child sex abuse and violence against women. Bodhini representative Blaise C. spoke about the dangers of using the social media, especially for children, while Dr. Sabin Viswanath, managing trustee of the NGO, gave the introductory remarks.

(The New Indian Express, State editions)

After 90 films, over 35 years, director Priyadarshan embarks on a new genre: the crime-thriller. The film, ‘Oppam’, is slated for a September 8 release

Photos: Director Priyadarshan with choreographer Kala Master; Mohanlal in 'Oppam'

By Shevlin Sebastian

On the first day of the shoot of 'Oppam', (Together), a story of a blind lift attendant, at Kochi, in March, superstar Mohanlal told director Priyadarshan that he would not act like an usual blind man.

“That meant Mohanlal would not blink and look upwards,” says Priyadarshan. “He wanted to act like a normal person.”

The director was not surprised. When the duo did research, in Chennai, at a blind school, they observed children, playing and running between the benches, as if they could see. “Those who are born blind are very smart,” says Priyadarshan. “Their sense of sound and direction are very good.”

He recalled a blind telephone operator, at the Marriot Hotel, in Chennai, who could remember 10,000 voices. “He walked like a normal man,” says Priyadarshan. “Those who blink and search for things are people who became blind at a later stage in life.”

Priyadarshan decided to make the film, when Mohanlal told him the gist of a story written by newcomer Govindan Vijayan. “What intrigued me was this premise: a blind man sees a murder,” says Priyadarshan. The script has been written by him, but the theme, the murder-thriller, is a first for him.

Asked why he was embarking on a different genre, after 90 films, over 35 years, Priyadarshan says, “In the past I have made mistakes by trying to repeat what I have done before. People would tell me we need a film like ‘Poochakkoru Mookkuthi’ or ‘Kilukkam’. But when I tried to do that, it did not do well. Also, in my career, I have done period films like ‘Kaala Pani’, art films like ‘Kanchivaram’ (Tamil), and numerous romantic and slapstick comedies. So I thought, 'Why not try something new?'”

When asked about the new trends in Mollywood today, Priyadarshan says, “There are no trends. It has always been the same human emotions: love, hate, joy, sorrow and anxiety. The only thing that has changed is the way a film is made, because of technology. Also, life has become faster, and attitudes have changed. This change is being reflected in the films. Otherwise, it is the same old wine put in a new bottle.”

A skilled screenplay writer, he knows exactly what a good script needs. “Every scene should make the audience feel anxious to know what happens next,” says Priyadarshan. “Secondly, finish telling all the background information about the characters in the first reel itself. Never repeat things that you have shown once. Lastly, once you introduce a hook in the first scene, you should maintain it till the end.”

Incidentally, ‘Oppam’, which stars Mohanlal, Samuthirakani, Vimala Raman, Anusree, Nedumudi Venu and Mamukkoya, is slated to be released on September 8. Unlike most film-makers, Priyadarshan no longer feels an anxiety about the film’s fate at the box office.

“During my first 50 films, I would feel this worry,” he says. “But it is no longer there. People say that ‘Midhunam’ is one of my best films. But when it was released it became a flop. A rejection by the audience does not mean that the film is not a good one. What I try to do is to go with my gut feeling and make the best film possible. And then hope for the best.”

Finally, when asked to give tips to youngsters about the way to have a long career, Priyadarshan is honest enough to say, “I have no advice. When I look back at my career, I just think how lucky I have been to survive so long. Many of my contemporaries are no longer on the scene. So, God has been very kind to me.”

(The New Indian Express, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode)

The Kozhikode-born graphic designer Sruthi Kainady talks about her experiences on working for the new logo of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York

Photos: Sruthi Kainadi by TP Sooraj; the new logo of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

By Shevlin Sebastian

Sruthi Kainady felt a little envious. Every day, she would go to work at the New York office of international brand consultant Wolff Olins (they had designed the logo for the 2012 Olympic Games at London), and she would watch as her colleagues would be working intensely on making a logo for the The Metropolitan Museum of Art (one of the world's finest museums, it has more than 20 lakh pieces of world art spanning 5000 years). Of course, she knew that she was just too new to be selected, just one month (July, 2014) after her graduation in graphic design from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD).

But suddenly things changed. “One day, after going through several sketches, our creative director Lisa [Smith] asked the whole team to drop everything they were doing and contribute ideas,” says Sruthi.

The Museum wanted to become more accessible to its visitors, which averages six million annually from all over the world. “The team worked feverishly to visually articulate the Met’s key values,” says Sruthi.

She also worked on a few designs. Essentially, Sruthi created a sketch that connected all the letters, of the name, 'The Met', to suggest the museum's ability to connect cultures through art. The team appreciated this concept and developed it further. Thereafter, it was referred to the world-famous typographer Gareth Hague, who gave the finishing touches. ““You need an expert to refine it,” says Sruthi. “What Gareth did is what you see now.”

Yes, it is indeed amazing that the Kozhikode-born Sruthi played an important role in the logo's redesign. “I am so grateful that I got the chance to work with such a world-renowned group,” she says. “It helped me to gain valuable experience.”

Sruthi, 24, is the daughter of noted architect Tony Joseph, and Sonia, an interior designer. She says that her parents always encouraged her. “They did not force me to do anything,” says Sruthi. “They gave me the freedom to find out what I want to do.”

Right from the time, she was a child, Sruthi was obsessed with patterns, shapes and textiles. When the family would return from family trips, she would caption the photos with custom-drawn fonts. “What I do today isn’t all that different,” she says. “At that time I did not realise that there was an entire field that dealt with laying out information in a visual manner.”

Soon after her studies, in Pallikoodam, at Kottayam, till Class 10, then the Dubai American Academy, till Class 12, she went to the RISD.

Meanwhile, apart from the Met, while in RISD, for a class project, Sruthi did the logo design for the Retretti, an underground museum in Finland. “I also did the fonts for the Museum posters, applications and the web site,” she says.

In September, 2015, Sruthi was transferred to the Dubai office of Wolff Olins. While there, she has worked on a high-profile project for the government's transport department.

And she is clearly an asset to the company. Says Marie Succar, former design director at Wolff Olins, Dubai: “Sruthi always challenges the status quo. Her outlook on solving design problems is a curious, creative and logical one. What compliments Sruthi's talent is her personality. She is a sweet, open and transparent soul, which makes working with her a pure joy!'

On a mini-break, at her home town of Kozhikode, Sruthi will soon be moving to the London office of Wolff. “I am all excited about the future,” she says.

(The New Indian Express, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode)

Says former RBI Governor Duvvuri Subbarao during a speech at the Centre for Public Policy Research at Kochi

By Shevlin Sebastian

In April, 2009, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) was celebrating its Platinum Jubilee year. Duvvuri Subbarao, the then Governor of the RBI went to Chennai to take part in a Town Hall-style meeting, which was telecast nationally.

Around half an hour into the show, Subbarao decided to take a straw poll. He asked the 300 strong audience one question: “How many of you want the RBI to prioritise inflation over growth?”

About half the hands went up. Then he said, “How many of you want the RBI to prioritise growth over inflation? Again half the hands went up.

“There was nothing dramatic about that,” says Subbarao. “But then it struck me, just by a visual impression of the hands which went up, that people who wanted to prioritise inflation over growth were the middle-aged and lower income people, who were hurt by inflation, and finding it difficult to balance the family budget.”

On the other hand, those who wanted growth were the young professionals in the 25-35 year group. “They were concerned about jobs, career prospects and had a longer time frame,” says Subbarao. “The message that I got was that there are different constituencies in our society who priories different things. So the question for the RBI was: how does it meet these conflicting priorities?”

Subbarao had come to Kochi to give the 12th Quarterly Lecture of the Centre for Public Policy Research. His topic was: ‘Who Moved my Interest Rate?” This was in reference to his fast-selling book of the same name published by Penguin. Outside the hall, the books were selling steadily. “Nationally, the book is doing very well,” says a smiling V. Madhu, the Kochi-based Sr. Sales Manager of Penguin.

Among the topics he spoke about was how he managed the global crisis of 2008-10, the monetary policy in 2010-12, and the exchange rate in 2013. He also spoke about the difficulties of the job.

“It is very tough for the RBI to predict market reaction,” he says. “Having said that, the effectiveness on any policy depends, to a large extent, on how the market responds.”

It was an absorbing speech and kept the audience all attentive. His final piece of advice: keep your ears close to the ground. Just before he assumed the post of Governor, in 2008, he went to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, a former Governor.

Singh told him, at the end of the meeting, “When you go to the RBI, you will run the risk of losing touch with what’s happening the country, through your preoccupation with the credit rate, inflation and interest rates, and money supply. Don’t get lost in the numbers. Always remember that there are real faces behind these numbers.”

Subbarao pauses and says, “I have always followed that advice.”

(The New Indian Express, Kochi)

COLUMN: LOCATION DIARY

Director B. Unnikrishnan talks about his experiences in the films, ‘Grandmaster’ and 'Pramani'

Photos: Director B. Unnikrishnan with Jagathy and Mohanlal on the sets of 'Grandmaster' ; photo of B. Unnikrishnan by Kaviyoor Santhosh

By Shevlin Sebastian

Director B. Unnikrishnan was taken aback. On the set of his film, ‘Grandmaster’, at Kochi, on March 9, 2012, the final day of the shoot, veteran actor Jagathy Sreekumar told Unnikrishnan he wanted to dub his voice by using the rushes as a reference. “Usually, the dubbing is done after the first edit,” says Unnikrishnan. “But Jagathy told me he wanted to finish it.” And so it was done.

It had been an enjoyable shoot. What Unnikrishnan like the most was the good-hearted teasing that took place between superstar Mohanlal and Jagathy.

And he gives an example. “Jagathy had a particular habit,” says Unnikrishnan. “After lunch, he would always take a nap for half an hour. Once, we were shooting at Cherai beach. And, immediately, after lunch, Jagathy went to sleep in a room at a nearby house. Mohanlal saw Jagathy sleeping through a window.”

The star then borrowed a phone and called up the production executive, Mani (name changed). He changed his voice and said, “I am calling from another location. I need to talk to Jagathy immediately.”

Since Jagathy does not keep a cell phone, Mani took his mobile, went into Jagathy's room, woke him up and said, “Sir, there is a call for you.”

When Jagathy took the phone, Mohanlal said, “Sir, can I tell you an interesting joke?” And they both burst out laughing.

There is a back story to this. Mohanlal was working with Jagathy in ‘Naran’ (2005), a film directed by Joshy. They were shooting late at night, somewhere in Tamil Nadu, when a tall and broad-shouldered man approached the duo and said, in Tamil, “Excuse me.”

Both of them thought he was an important person.

The man paused and said, “Can I tell you an interesting joke?”

They found it weird and ignored him.

“Ever since that day, during the 'Grandmaster' shoot, whenever Jagathy would be resting between shots, Mohanlal would come up from behind and say, 'Can I tell you an interesting joke?’” says Unnikrishnan. “Even though Jagathy was always serious and sombre between takes, Mohanlal had the ability to make him laugh.”

On that last day, Jagathy approached Unnikrishnan and complimented him on the film. “Thereafter, he came for the pack-up party, which he usually never does. He then informed me that he would have to travel through the night to reach Kodagu (in Karnataka), where a shoot of Lenin Rajendran’s ‘Idavappathy' was taking place,” says Unnikrishnan.

Unfortunately, during the early hours of March 10, the vehicle hit a median on National Highway 17, at Tenhipalam, in Malappuram district. Jagathy suffered serious head injuries from which he has not completely recovered. “Looking back, if Jagathy had not done the dubbing, before he left, it would have been difficult for me to release the film,” says Unnikrishnan.

In another experience, on the set, 'Pramani' (2010), a young girl was appointed to play Fahadh Faasil's sister in the movie. “She was a bubbly and high-spirited girl,” says Unnikrishnan. “But all of us always treated her like a child.”

She interacted with everybody, except for Fahadh, who, true to his introvert nature, kept to himself. “She had acted with Mammooty in 'Palunku' [directed by Blessey],” says Unnikrishnan.

So, it did come as a complete surprise, when Unnikrishnan was invited to Fahadh's wedding reception, on August 21, 2014, at Thiruvananthapuram, and came to realise that the young girl on the 'Pramani' set had become Fahadh's wife.

"I jokingly reminded Nazriya [Nazim] that she first met Fahadh on the sets of my film,” says Unnikrishan. “She gave me a shy smile.”

(The New Indian Express, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode)

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