KOZHIKODE: “I was truly shocked to realise that even the Naxalite movement had infiltrators, deceivers, and casteist attitudes, and even police agents,” says GROW Vasu, his deeply lined face a map of decades of struggle and resistance, on YouTube. The 94-year-old veteran activist’s remarkable life is now at the centre of a documentary that is steadily drawing public attention.
Released on May 1, the film chronicles the extraordinary journey of Ayinoor Vasu – known widely as GROW Vasu – from a prominent communist leader in Kozhikode to a relentless human rights activist and founder of the GROW (Gwalior Rayons Workers’ Organisation) union, a platform advocating for scheduled castes and tribes and minority communities.
“Vasuettan (brother Vasu) is a familiar figure in Kozhikode. Some know him as Naxal Vasu, others as GROW Vasu, and to some, he’s the umbrella maker,” director Arshaq tells TNIE. “When we thought about making a documentary, he was our natural first choice. Initially, we planned a short video showing him in a heroic light, to quench our fanboy desires. But when we approached him, he insisted it had to be real.”
Work on the documentary began in September 2022 and spanned nearly two years. The team understood the importance of thorough research to capture the depth of Vasu’s life and legacy. “Our biggest source was Vasuettan himself. We first placed a camera in front of him and recorded his recollections. Later, we asked about specific events. Even those we interviewed were carefully chosen, people who had been closely associated with him. The whole process was very organic,” Arshaq says.
The film opens with Kunjikoya, a founding member of the GROW movement, recounting the origins of a union formed for kitchen staff at the Kozhikode medical college hospital, with the help of Vasu. That initiative eventually gave birth to the GROW union.
In the hour-long documentary, Vasu candidly reflects on his early days as a Communist Party worker, his eventual transition to the Naxalite movement, and the disillusionment that followed. “I worked for years with the Communist Party, even at the state level, but later realised that its ideologies weren’t truly serving the people. When I joined the Naxalite movement, I faced opposition from Marxist party workers. I worked to reorganise Naxalism in Kerala, which had crumbled during the Emergency. But over time, I saw the same flaws... infiltrators, deceivers, and casteist attitudes... within the Naxal movement itself. That left me emotionally shattered. That’s when I decided to leave politics,” he says in the film.
Later, a group from Comtrust approached him to form a union for contract workers, which led to the founding of GROW. The documentary also covers his involvement in the Naxalite action at Thirunelli alongside Arikkad Varghese, his subsequent arrest, and seven years of solitary confinement. It further documents his later years of activism in human rights and environmental causes.
GROW Vasu has been screened at several film festivals, including the 16th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala, Chennai Social Justice Film Festival, Chittur Panchajanyam, and Guftagu Film Fest. The film is now available for public viewing on the YouTube channel AVM Unni Archives.
Produced by Out of Order Films and AVM Unni Archives, the documentary is directed by Arshaq, with Salman Shareif as the cinematographer and Kevin as the editor. Sanoop Luis has handled the music while Luqmanul Hakeem is the executive producer.