My uncle, John Paul, has gone forever, recollects Ranjith

He termed John Paul’s writing style unique.
My uncle, John Paul, has gone forever, recollects Ranjith

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: “My uncle has gone forever,” said director and Kerala State Chalachithra Academy chairman Ranjith, reminiscing scenarist John Paul who passed away on Saturday. He said he became a John Paul fan in the early 80s after watching the film Chaamaram.

“When I first met him in 1988, he had earned the nickname ‘uncle’. When I got acquainted with him, I too began addressing him that way. One day, I asked him about the history behind people calling him uncle. He said he was given the nickname by the late director Bharathan. Since then, John Paul has been a beloved uncle to many,” Ranjith said.

He termed John Paul’s writing style unique. The Chalachithra Academy chairman also recalled a lighter moment he had with the late screenwriter. “One day, I asked him if he was getting bulkier. It was not intended to body shame him. He replied jovially, comparing himself to the handsome actors of the Kapoor family in the Hindi film industry,” Ranjith said.

Scenarist Unni R said: “Some will make us laugh. Some will make us cry. Many people have different ways of crying. John Paul, through his writing, made me cry during my youth. The sadness of the goodbye at the end of ‘Vida Parayum Munpe’ returns to me. Goodbye, dear John Paul.”

Scriptwriter Sajeev Pazhoor recalled the different genre of films John Paul offered during the 80s. “I am a fan of John Paul. His films influenced me a lot. They always had high quality content and dealt with serious subjects. During Covid times, his programme on Safari channel was inspiring, and he motivated us with his unique language,” he said.

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