THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: On one side is a man many Malayali cinephiles consider to be power personified. On the other are five priests who signify spirituality. However, as it turns out, their paths crossed once, more than three decades ago. Action star Babu Antony, 57, was in for a pleasant surprise when he learnt that five bishops and archbishops of different Christian denominations were once his pupils, learning martial arts under his tutelage 37 years ago.
Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) president Archbishop Baselios Cleemis of Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, Bishop Alex Joseph Vadakkumthala of the Kannur diocese of Roman Catholic Church, Archbishop Thomas Mar Koorilos of Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, Bishop Aboon Thomas Mar Eusebius of Parassala of Syro-Malankara Catholic Church and Bishop Sebastian Adayanthrath of Syro- Malabar Eparchy of Mandya in Karnataka had been among the 50 pupils Babu Antony trained in Pune way back in the 1980s.
Recalled Archbishop Cleemis, “We were studying Theology at the Papal Seminary in Pune. Babu was studying MBA in Pune. He came to the seminary one day through a friend who was a student. It was Babu’s idea to start a martial arts class for students. Once the rector agreed, classes began.”
“There were around 40-50 students. Babu was very strict. Evening classes were held two days a week. It was good physical exercise. I continued for six months but later lost contact with him,” the cardinal told TNIE.
In 2022, when Babu Antony was in Thiruvananthapuram for a KCBC event, he got a request to meet the cardinal at Pattom. The actor obliged.
“During his speech after the reception, the cardinal revealed I had been his teacher. I was stunned. That was when I remembered my stint in Pune,” the actor told TNIE. “It was a one-in-a-million moment,” he said.
Babu Antony trained students at the seminary while he was studying at the Symbiosis Institute of Business Management in 1984-85.
He recalled: “I taught them mixed martial arts. The idea was to teach martial arts like in Buddhist monasteries. A hall was allotted and the fee was Rs 15. For me, it was pocket money. On most weekends, I slept at the seminary. I taught there for six years.”
As for Alex Vadakumthala, though Babu had been in touch with the Kannur bishop, Babu Antony did not know he had chief of the congregation.
“I was in Kannur for a film shoot when Alex called. I asked his whereabouts and he replied he was at the bishop’s house. I asked what he was doing there. That’s when he revealed he was the bishop,” the actor said. They later acted in a devotional music video. Meanwhile, the actor plans to meet Archbishop Mar Koorilos on September 29 after more than 30 years.
Bishop Mar Eusebius said he still follows the regimen Babu taught. “We were in our 20s. I studied under him for two years. I am 62 now. But I still exercise. The physical training helped us be stronger mentally and spiritually. Bishop Alex Vadakkumthala, Cardinal Cleemis and I met Babu in Ernakulam last week,” he said. The teacher and the five pupils plan to meet again soon.