Malayalees know film director Nemom Pushparaj more for his artsy movies than his directorial prowess. Gourisankaram (2003) and Banaras (2009) were appreciated for the song sequences set in beautiful locales. For Gourisankaram, Pushparaj, who was initially an art director, bagged the Kerala State Film Award for debutant director.
Pushparaj, 40, began his seven years of college life at Government Sanskrit College in Thiruvananthapuram in 1977. In a short span of time, his drawings became popular and Pushparaj was integral to all activities on campus. The director did not restrict himself to art and dabbled in sports and politics. “Many would scarcely believe that I was a member of the college cricket team (The tallest in the nine-member cricket team was made wicketkeeper),” reminisces Pushparaj, who didn’t dismiss anyone but managed to restrict the opponent team’s score. “Without any technical know-how, I tried my hands at high jump, football and volleyball too.”
Pushparaj was the executive member of Students Federation of India. The opposition was not very strong then — only two to three members. Huge protests simply meant raising slogans at the top of their voices. Still one incident stands out. “A corner of our college was occupied by the Public Works Department. We marched to the Secretariat, demanding that PWD leave the campus. We had the entire state’s attention and soon PWD had to vacate the campus,” recounts Pushparaj.
He was a regular at the mimicry performance of Susruthan, a postgraduate student. The venue was a mango tree grove on campus. “The man who imitated sounds was watched with awe, as it was a novel experience for many of us,” he says. Post the performance, Pushparaj and Co used to hang out at the modest Bombay Wallah restaurant. It is famous for its puri-masala.
Pushparaj’s design for the college mag’s cover was appreciated by one and all. The theme was religious harmony and during the mag’s release, Kainikkara Kumara Pillai, the chief guest, invited Pushparaj on to the stage and praised his talent. “After that, I was encouraged by my teachers to pursue arts, though it was not on my list. I followed their advice and joined College of Fine Arts in Thiruvananthapuram to pursue a bachelor’s degree in fine arts,” he says.
Things took an upbeat turn at the fine arts college. Pushparaj delved into the silent world of arts, and at the end of the course emerged as the art director for the movie, Sakhav, which was directed by PA Bakkar. From then on, there was no looking back. Pushparaj, who ranked first in his BFA class, recalls that education in those days was not an onerous activity. “No one was pestered to study. Our parents and teachers only wanted us to clear the exams. So there was no place for envy or unhealthy competition between friends,” he says.
— meera.manu@newindianexpress.com