MINON BABY JOHN, NATIONAL AWARD/BEST CHILD ACTOR
The world is a stage for child actor and aesthete at large, 13-year-old Minon Baby John. The home schooled son of artists, sculptor-craftsman John Baby and painter Mini John, Minon says, “My parents never taught me anything subject-wise. Instead they let me ask questions, to which they give answers. I did all my learning through such question-answer sessions.” With his convincing portrayal of an inquisitive boy in Sidhartha Siva’s Malayalam feature film, 101 Chodyangal (101 questions) Minon clinched the national award for the best child artist this year.
Unlike other thirteen-year-olds, who spend most of their days at school, this youngster tutors university students, paints, acts and does his share of social work on a good day. Back to life (Malayalam, Hindi and Tamil) and Amma Veedu are the other films Minon has acted in.
Today, his Mollywood career is hotting up. He has already done a prominent role in the Mammooty starrer, Munnariyippu. At this moment, he is busy shooting for the film, Lal Bahadur Sasthri at Kochi. He says he has more films lined up.
Future point? Minon says, “I usually answer this question with a drawing of a bald head and two circles. They’re symbols of Gandhiji. I don’t want to be Gandhiji but I want to be remembered for good work just like him and people should recognise me from two strokes.”
Different strokes is the mot juste for his genius.