THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: For Pampally aka Sandeep Kumar, the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) will always hold a special place in his heart, as this is where, during the 2016 edition, that he met his life partner. They finally got married during the ongoing 27th IFFK.
The filmmaker was seated next to Surabhi at the Tagore theatre during IFFK 2016 when they struck up a casual conversation. That resulted in an acquaintance that turned into a good friendship, with movies the common thread that bound them. Pampally, who hails from Kozhikode, was a delegate when he first met Surabhi. But they never saw each up until IFFK 2019, as Pampally was busy with work. The 43-year-old’s first feature film, ‘Sinjar’, in Jasari (a dialect of Malayalam spoken in the Lakshadweep Islands) was screened at the 2018 IFFK. The film also received the national award for ‘Best Debut Film’.
At the 2019 edition, their friendship grew stronger, and it was the beginning of a relationship not only between them but between two families. “Surabhi used to advice us on my father’s illness. She was an anaesthesia technician at the Regional Cancer Centre in Thiruvananthapuram then. Later, both families formed strong bonds, which culminated in a marriage proposal. I can’t say it’s a love marriage. It is a love-cum-arranged marriage,” Pampally told TNIE.
On Sunday, after their marriage at the JJ Auditorium in Kallambalam, they arrived at the Tagore theatre wearing IFFK tags, as guests of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy. Their married life started by watching the Italian film, ‘Lord of the Ants’. Surabhi, who is from Navaikulam, now works with the Directorate of Health Services. On the other hand, Pampallya is set to announce his first Hollywood film at the IFFK on Tuesday.