A visual storyteller with a difference
KOCHI: At the age of 10, A V Thampan started drawing pictures based on the Ramayana. He used to stitch them together like a film roll and used to exhibit them before his family. But what destiny chose for him was something different and he matured into a documentary film maker, making more than 100 documentaries.
A passionate film maker, artist and writer, Thampan has many things to his credit. He is also the chairperson of the 5th International Documentary and Short Film festival of Kerala. Thampan has been making unique documentary films including Malayala Bhashayum Shahithyavum consisting of ten documentaries of 30-minute duration on the Malayalam language, and Keralam Onnamathu.
His friendship with director Padmarajan, P A Lathief and writer Perumpadavom helped him mould himself into an experienced film maker to an extent he directed a mainstream film Manasinte Theerthayathra in 1981. What makes his memories greener is his association with filmmaker K G George while working in a few of the latter’s films, including Ulkadal.
Thampan’s documentary on K G George titled K G George, the Master transverses the life and works of the director and focuses on his evolution as a master craftsman. In the documentary, the film maker has stepped out of the norms of using sound bites to unravel the central character. None of the characters speak about George in the film as he is physically present.
Thampan, instead of focusing on George’s journey in a chronological way, chooses to present it by ending the film with his work Yavanika tagging it as his masterpiece. George has presented the protagonist tablist Ayyapan in Yavanika in a unique way where he juxtaposes George’s films like Ulkkadal, Lekhayaude Maranam: Oru Flash Back to highlight the place where George stood as a director. Similarly his documentary on C J Thomas, a legendary playwright, titled Malayalathinte Priya C J, is also highly commendable. As CJ died long back, Thampan had to depend on a few photographs he got from his family in order to feature him. He says, “We should never differentiate films as feature or documentaries but see it as a work of art and people should view it as films,” says Thampan.
A notable work is a feature on Idukki where he has covered each and every aspect of the district from people to the various cultures there. He says, “The subject may be dry but what makes this documentary unique is the beauty with which each minute detail has been captured.” A majority of his documentaries was made for Doordarshan and PRD. Most of his works have not been screened anywhere.