‘PREMAM’ alla….. ithu ‘SOUHRUDUM’ - Saumya Biju

-           Inspirations to and fro….

Hi dears,

Now, this blog of mine has turned out to be my scribbling pad… Whatever, I leave out as reflective scribblings, my husband, suggests me to share with you people, by posting it in the blog which 15 year old Shivshankar ( my brother’s son) ,who happens to be one of my best friends, had created for me and which was remaining unattended by me for about 2 yrs(I confess).But, as I have communicated to u dears, almost a week before, by virtue of the prime post, it became ‘live’-as I was wanting to communicate my whole-hearted support to blogger-Gowri, who expressed the ‘vacuum feel’, she had after watching the movie ‘PREMAM’… The feel the movie left in me was a ‘ FEEL MINUS INSPIRATION’…I communicated…

The very next day, Abhaykumar N.S, an architect, by profession, and a person, with an inherent passion for art ,theatre and visual media, who happens to be a common friend of me and my husband, had sent me an online message (“Hi, when time and mood permit, read and give me some feedback”)…via email…with a pdf attached to it…!Even before opening the pdf,  I was sure, yes….somehow…I was almost sure, there would be some ‘creative stuff ‘inside… awaiting me…!!!!! [Ai…no…nothing like 6^th sense or telepathy or anything beyond layman’s conceivability… It was something within a ‘lay man’s reach’…. bcoz Abhay is not a person who was introduced to my life ,as a friend or classmate of my husband though our acquaintances were confined to the annual ‘ get together’ celebrations Christ Nagarians and CETians have, wherein Abhay and Biju ,my husband share a common space,,,….]

FLASHBACK,,,,,…….. (ha ha ha……)

Yes,!!!!!,going for a flashback…the memories of my first acquaintance with Abhay, takes me back to my school days….I was a Nirmalite (NIRMALA BHAVAN CONVENT, TVM)and Abhay was a Nagarian, as I would call them,..(CHRISTNAGAR SCHOOL,TVM)…Though we were not neighbours…our schools were….!!!!!  And ….at that time…Nirmala Bhavan was a Girls’ school and ChristNagar , a Boys’school ,though…. now ,both these schools are ‘co-educational institutions’. Naturally Nirmalites and Nagarians , were more or less like ‘ made for each other’ (Ha, ha, ha… no misunderstandings please… that was a pure , innocent and at the most a romantic observation!!!!)…. But literally no acquaintance -, either romantic ( ha, ha, ha) or even a friendly one occurred between me and Abhayan in or around our school premises, though we Nirmalites,were, once in a year ,taken to Christ Nagar for the wonderous Science Exhibition…. ( Ai, same is the case with Biju, my husband also though he was also a Nagarian .. ha, ha, ha)

Now, let me take you to the venue of my first acquaintance with Abhayakumar…

Venue – Dooradarshan Kendra, Trivandrum

Purpose – Quiz competition for School students to be telecast as a special programme…

10 out of around 200 participants got qualified in the prelims (written test on GK and current affairs) and among the 10 students who were selected for the programme, both of us (Myself and Abhayan), were there. To start with, all 10 of us had to go for a self- introduction, and to hear  from him that he was a Nagarian ,made me more comfortable ( the very same comfort feel ,we have about the boy next door). All 10 of us had a very interesting and intellectually contributing moments in the recording studios of Dooradarshan with the crew explaining to us the technicalities involved as well...  But I confess, I don’t remember the faces or names of any other participant other than Abhayan. I remembered him bcoz, before late , we had met again in our 10^th Std Tuition class, which at that time, happened to be a ‘Co-ed’ of Nagaraians & Nirmalites- We called it ‘Suresh Kumar Sir’s’, Sir being one of the best teachers of Christ Nagar. Though we were not batch mates, we saw at times, though very rarely, during some combined batch classes and recreational events. As both of us belonged to the ‘frank and sociable’ category rather than the ‘shy and romantic’ category, we used to go for ‘Hai’……….. ‘Sukhom??’…  and such friendly ‘kushaloms’.

One evening Abhay and Rajesh ( batch mate and friend of mine at Suresh Kumar Sir’s), came to my home to ask whether I was interested to join the Music Band they were planning to form…. Though I did not join them, I was quite impressed about the creative initiatives of my friends…… 

‘A …     LOOOOOOONG …      BREAK…. !!!! ‘ …….   Me, with my socio legal pursuits joined Law Academy Law College,.. .. may be the artistic passion in Abhay made him an Archie at CET ( College of Engineering, Trivandrum) [ Ai, but Abhay remained in my vicinity…. Not only Abhay, many of my tuition mates who entered in to CET, remained in my vicinity bcz my dearest school mate Miji Mathew, who was more like a family member at that time ( who and her family happens to be the dearest ones of myself, Biju and Suroop even now, Gods Blessings), with whom I had long chats during my Law College days, kept me updated.( even now she is the one who keeps me updated with the whereabouts of all our common friends)….. (MIJIIIIII,,,,da….uu….der??!!!)

2014 -----à Get-together CETians

My husband, being a CETian and the get-together being one ‘with family’ I also reached the venue with Biju and my son Suroop. But very few CETians knew the excitement I had in mind to meet many of them, who were my ‘ once upon a time’ class mates, or batch mates at school or at Pre degree period in Govt Womens College, Trivandrum. Gaanamela, Music band performance and Skit…. That was the ‘stage performance ‘part of the get-together. As it was ‘mega get-together’, including all branches of CET 94 batch, it was real fun with people from almost all parts of the world getting together with loving and lovable memories….. ‘ Energy packed….’ , I would say dears!!!!’ And then….. Gaanamela over… Music band performance…..cheers!!!!!! And now I was waiting for the ‘Skit’ as I had been a die hard fan of theatre, right from my school days. And Yes!! It started- ‘The Skit’… scripted, directed and the lead character rendered by ‘Abhaykumar – wow’!!!  I could feel the ‘child’ in me feeling proud about her ‘childhood friend’ and I shared the pride and excitement with Biju, my husband.!!! I appreciated Abhay in person, but he wouldn’t have got the ‘child like pride’ I had in me, from my ostensibly mature communications.

‘A Short Break’

Two months later… I had just returned home from All India Radio after taking an interview of Fahad Fazil, the liberated artist I would say…. Was very happy about the session, Yes, was inspired   and hence goes without saying, happy…. And I saw Biju engaged with FB and he showed me a post-‘ a short film from Abhay’. Though I am one who is in to socio legal activities in the ‘real world’, I am fully out of ‘social networking- the virtual one’ ….but the inspirations I got from the short film was worth it, that I penned my reflections in my scribbling pad, which Biju had posted as ‘comment’ in you tube. Goes without saying, I felt that ‘child like pride’ about Abhay again!!!!!

 And now let me come to the present…..

Now friends, you would have understood, why I would have entered in to the right guess about the creative content in the PDF attached to Abhays mail, suggesting me to cast my reflections!!!! Happily, yes, with pride and pleasure, I had gone thru his creative manifestations, took his phone number from Biju and rang him up to let him know my reflections on the creative content he had mailed us.( Atleast some of you might be curious to know about it, but am sorry, it’s a great suspense…!!!!!!J but am sure not only you, the whole malayali group of art lovers will know about it.. before late, …if things go as he plans….. till then keep waiting… ha, ha, ha….)

I had honestly communicated my reflections to him…. And he from his side expressed his strong appreciation for the prime post in my blog which communicated the ‘feel minus inspiration’ I had about the movie ‘Premam’  .

To quote Abhays words, “ That’s it Saumya!!! You said it rightly and of course precisely!! INSPIRATION- that’s the key word!! What ever may be the creative communications we make to the society at large, it should have that – ‘Inspiration’ as you have said and Saumya, I take it from you!!! And its going to be a pointer in all my creative pursuits”

                                             Thankyou Abhay!!!

                                             Thankyou dear friend !!!!

I intented it  as a reflection to Gowri’s review. But it ended up as an inspiration to one of my ‘childhood friends’….. And again  Am ‘Inspired’, and hence this reflection – ‘ INSPIRATIONS - TO AND FRO’!!....

No alcohol, No drug, No smoke, No bombarding visuals, No rocking visuals, No brouhaha comedies…. Yet  inspiring ….. Simply Inspiring, dear friend….

                                                 ‘PREMAM’ alla….. ithu ‘SOUHRIDUM’