John Abraham and American Avant-Garde Film makes a match

praise the heroes by a spanish painter


Remembering John Abraham

By Our Staff Reporter

KOCHI, MAY 30. For those who assembled at the courtyard of the Sikshak Sadan here on Sunday evening, it was more of an informal get- together. Familiar faces and a lot of memories to share. Nothing could have better suited a meeting to commemorate the legend, John Abraham.

As the art critic, Vijayakumar Menon, said in his presidential address, the meeting reminded of those evenings in the late '60s and '70s when people cutting across various classes in society used to meet and interact. Filmmakers, writers, artists and art lovers were all there to mark the occasion. And, precisely this diversity gave the meeting a dimension outside commemoration of John Abraham and release of four new books published by Niyogam Books, he said.

Inaugurating the meeting and releasing the books, the renowned filmmaker, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, said the Malayalam film industry, and society, was not in a position to objectively criticise or even evaluate films that do not compromise its artistic values.

The real mood of the evening was captured by another prominent filmmaker, Pavithran, when he delivered the John Abraham commemorative lecture. He began his lecture by expressing the displeasure he has in attending this function. For the simple reason that the reality of John's death has not yet sunk in for him.

"John had in his mind completed many scripts for films that were more beautiful than those already made by him. Not that he ever regretted not making those films or even made an attempt to make those films," said Mr. Pavithran.

"But somebody should make films based on those scripts left behind by John. There are many talents among present generation who could make those films, he added, alluding to one particular script - Nanmayil Gopalan.

"The film was about Gopalan, who believed in virtue and did only good deeds. He used a mule to travel around and at the end of the film, he reaches a crossroad. A pointer says that one is the road to virtue and the other to evil. Along the route to evil is another board saying `K.P. Kesava Menon' and there is none along the road to virtue. Gopalan chooses the latter and frame freezes as he proceeds along this route," Mr. Pavithran said.

The filmmaker, Satyan Anthikad, said John Abraham's stamp was very much there even in the radio advertisements that he used for the film, Cheriachante Kroorakruthyangal.

The session was followed by a ghazal recital by Rafeeq.