KOLLAM: Jayan is a Malayali movie icon who continues to live on in the hearts of millions, even 41 years after his untimely demise. Yet, few are aware of the legendary actor’s stint as a navyman – a chapter of his life that remains largely unexplored.
Speaking to TNIE, former chief petty officer G K Pillai, Jayan’s fellow seaman for nearly four years, offered a rare glimpse into this lesser-known side of the famed thespian.
M Krishnan Nair or M K Nair to his naval colleagues, Jayan joined the Navy through the cadet entry scheme in the 1950s. According to Pillai, Jayan aspired to be a commissioned officer – a dream he pursued relentlessly but was unable to fulfil.
“Jayan worked hard towards becoming a commissioned officer. However, the Navy’s rules at the time did not permit sailors in the engineering, electrical and electronics department to rise to the commissioned ranks. His attempts to switch to the executive branch, where such promotions were possible, proved unsuccessful. Yet, Jayan never lost hope and remained focused on building a successful life for himself. He was also a smart NCC cadet during his school days,” Pillai recalls.
Pillai remembers Jayan as a multifaceted individual with exceptional talents. He was a sharp shooter, a fitness enthusiast, and an accomplished athlete who won prizes in Navy competitions. Jayan also excelled as a forward in the Navigation and Direction School’s football team.
“The competition was fierce due to the Navy’s policy of directly recruiting engineering graduates as trainee officers in the engineering, electrical, and electronics branches. This disappointment eventually pushed him to pursue a career in cinema. While posted at INS Venduruthy in Kochi during the late 1960s, Jayan made several attempts to break into Malayalam cinema. Though initially unsuccessful, he persisted,” recounts Pillai.
Jayan reached out to Pillai for help. Pillai facilitated a meeting with legendary actor Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair, who introduced Jayan to Malayalam cinema.
“I took him to Thikkurissy’s home at Jawahar Nagar, in Thiruvananthapuram, and introduced him. Thikkurissy promised to recommend Jayan to cinema producers. A few days later, he took Jayan to Merryland Studios and requested the late Subramaniam to offer him a role. Jayan’s persistence paid off, and he eventually achieved his dream of becoming an actor,” Pillai reminisced.
Jayan underwent two years of initial training at INS Circars, Visakhapatnam, followed by professional training at INS Valsura, Jamnagar, specialising in electrical and electronics equipment. He was trained in radio, radar, sonar, and wireless systems in the radio branch.
Upon completing his EMR course, Jayan was posted at the Navigation and Direction Training School at INS Venduruthy. He later served on board INS Rana and INS Mysore. Before retiring as a master chief petty officer in 1972, he was stationed at the TAS School at INS Venduruthy.