KOCHI: A video he accidentally posted in the wrong WhatsApp chat group last year was the turning point of K P Naisal’s life. He rose to fame overnight for ‘Perfect Ok’, his honest, informative review of the ‘Kerala Government’s quarantine facilities.
He only meant to send it to a friend, but a year later, Ashwin Bhaskar, an audio engineer from Malappuram, made an electronic remix of his video, making Naisal’s voice trending again. This simple, cheerful man is once again returning to the headlines with a dance cover of the song ‘Perfect Ok’ made by his friends in Kochi which has more than a million views on YouTube already.
The Kozhikode native was an autorickshaw driver before the internet found him. Last year, when his best friend Noufal tested positive for Covid and was struggling with anxiety at the quarantine facility in Kozhikode. “He was a diabetic and had high blood pressure. I received his phone call when I was about to take a bath.
To cheer him up, I took a selfie video, throwing in some made-up English words and about meals that the government is providing for people at its quarantine facilities. But I accidentally posted in another group where politics is banned. It somehow reached actor Vinay Forrt, who posted it on his social media page. The rest is history,” quips Naisal about his fairy tale fame journey.
Naisal was one of the chief guests at the inauguration of renovated Kozhikode beach on Thursday. “I cannot explain the happiness I felt attending the event. Just last year, I was only another face in the crowd. Now, my phone is flooded with phone calls from Malayalis who live in Middle-East Asia, the US and UK. They just want to hear me talk,” he says.
A young man once called him from the USA. His mother was struggling with Covid, and my videos made her laugh out loud. She was very happy when I sang it to her over the phone. But I feel truly happy when small kids recognise me and call me the ‘perfect ok uncle’. Athu pore machane!” says Naisal, smiling.
Little less than perfect
Whatever said, fame doesn’t feed stomachs, he says. Father of three children, Naisal earns a living working at his friend’s catering business and driving his autorickshaw. “Earlier, I had school trips to give a stable income. We are all going through a difficult time so I give free autorickshaw services to Covid positive patients. That is a huge help to many because otherwise, they have to spend D2,000 to hire an ambulance,” he says. Naisal reveals his lifelong dream just before concluding the call. “I have wanted to act since I was a kid. Now, I have few acting offers in the pipeline, including a role in a Malayalam television sitcom and two films. The work will begin once travel restrictions are eased,” says Naisal.