Where there is a will, there is a way. And this was Ajeesh Rajendran’s strong will that paved way for him to become a successful entrepreneur today. Founder of the Toronto-based entertainment firm, Blue Sapphire Entertainment, Ajeesh is all set to organise Toronto International South Asian Film Awards (TISFA) that will be held in the Canadian city in October.
He felt a touch of nervousness as he approached a hotel in Kattapana—130 km from Kochi—a few days ago. He was going to meet actor Shoubin Shahir, who was shooting for his film Ambili.
Ajeesh wanted to invite Shoubin for the inaugural of TISFA. Though Shoubin had won the Best Debut Director award for the film Parava through online voting, he was elated that Ajeesh had come to invite him.
“Shoubin told me that this was the first time an organiser had personally invited him for an award function. He told me that he would come and support my new venture. And I was on cloud nine when he said that,” says the 41-year-old.
Ajeesh, who has been organising shows since 2015, says that TISFA is going to be a celebration of the South-Asian talent. “All Tamil and Malayalam films, which were released between January 1 and December 31, 2017, were eligible for the fest. An online voting was also conducted from April 1 to May 15 to choose the winners in each category.”
These days, he is busy meeting winners of the 24 categories such as Best Film/Actor/Actress/Director, to invite them to the fest. And as he travels around, he wonders the way his life has changed in these five years.
Originally from Kollam, Ajeesh moved to Canada in December, 2012 when his wife got a permanent residency permit. After doing small jobs here and there, he decided to embark as a show-business entrepreneur. “I had played bit roles in Malayalam films, so it felt natural to gravitate to show business,” he says.
His first show featured a dance by actor Shobana in 2015. In 2016, Ajeesh held another show titled, ‘To Laleetan by Sreekuttan’. And in May last year, he held ‘Dileep Show 2017’ in Toronto.
“That was the first time I interacted with top Mollywood stars,” says Ajeesh. And he remembers waiting for the group—actors Dileep, his wife Kavya Madhavan, Namitha Pramod, comic stars Ramesh Pisharady and Dharmajan Bolgatty, director Nadir Shah and singer Rimi Tomy at the Niagara Falls.
“I was excited as well as apprehensive,” he says. But the apprehensions proved to be short-lived. “When they stepped out of the bus, they all acted very friendly,” says Ajeesh.
That evening, the performance received a standing ovation. And in May, this year, Shobana gave another sold-out performance with her ‘Trance’ dance show. “I am steadily gaining experience. And I am confident of making TISFA a success,” says Ajeesh.
Meanwhile, on being asked about his target audience, Ajeesh says, “There are over 40,000 Malayali families in Toronto. Most of them are in the IT industry. And they miss Malayali culture a lot.” So, he organises regional music and dance shows as well as films for them from time to time.
Apart from showbiz, Ajeesh has a two-hour weekly slot in a leading TV channel where he showcases news and cultural activities of the Malayali community. “I am enjoying every moment, because this is the job I love,” says Ajeesh.