Fallen Leaves IX Chapter
Adam Ayub
At the culmination of the first academic year, we were supposed to present a play and at the end of the final year, our diploma film. We had chosen the Malayalam play “Chaverpada”, written by P.M.A Azeez, who was one of the earliest alumni of the Film and Television Institute of India, poone. “Chaverpada” was a drama which intertwined the modern-day naxals with the ancient warriors of the mamankam. It drew parallels in history. It was a great drama! I felt great admiration for the dramatist Azeez. I had the good fortune to meet him in later life. I was chosen to play the role of the soothradharan.
All of us performed our characters well. The drama was presented before an invited audience; and it received good acclaim.
After the first year, there was a short vacation. I went home. The conditions at home were very depressing. Father had withdrawn himself into a shell. Meanwhile Akber had joined the shipping corporation of India as a marine engineer. But the sea life began to take its toll on his psyche. Being in the middle of the sea during long voyages had made him very lonely. His depressing letters also added to father’s woes. I felt the depression at Madras was better than the depression at home. As soon as the vacation was over, I rushed back to Madras.
At the Institute there were some interesting developments. The new batch of students came. We seniors decided to conduct a ragging session to welcome the juniors. The Institute authorities gave us silent consent to conduct the ragging on the promise that we will not exceed the limit. As most of the juniors were shy and timid, it was necessary to break their inhibitions. Shivaji (Rajaneekanth) presided over the ragging session. We made the juniors sing and dance and do some excercises. Jose, who later acted as the hero
In Ramu Kariat’s “Dweep” and Srinivasan, who later galvanized the entire Malayalam cinema, were among the Malayalee students. Jose was tall and handsome, while Srinivasan was puny, skinny and of dark complexion. Jose was a little haughty in nature. We had to intimidate him to submission. But Srinivasan was very timid and obeyed us meekly. The senior Telugu students laughed when they saw Srinivasan. They wondered how he even dared to dream of an acting career. But God always plays his cards close to his chest. Those who ridiculed Srinivasan are nowhere in the film industry now, while Srinivasan has not only dominated Malayalam Film Industry, but he has made a mark as screenplay writer, actor and director in the entire Indian cinema.
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