Daily Archives: August 17, 2016

Making his mark

Pradeep Nair on his tryst with filmdom

Director Pradeep Nair
Director Pradeep Nair

Pradeep Nair made a splash at the State and National Film Awards in 2005 almost out of nowhere. At the National Awards, he won a special jury award for directing Oridam, his debut feature film. Oridam did even better at the State Awards. It won four awards, including one for actor Geethu Mohandas for her portrayal of a sex worker. The film had raised expectations about its self-taught director. However, Pradeep hasn’t been able to capitalise on it and hasn’t had a single release in theatres since then.

He is, nonetheless, hopeful about the new film he is starting later this month.Udal features Vijay Babu and Urmila Mahanta, who had acted in Ketan Mehta’sManjhi, in lead roles. “I am sure that this film will be noticed, just like Oridamwas. It is an intense love story, told from the point of view of a young working class woman. Her life changes when a writer enters her life,” says Pradeep.

This is not his first feature after Oridam, though. He directed Cherukkanum Pennum, starring Sreejith Vijay and Deepthi Nambiar in the lead. “It is about the relationships of young people; how quickly they get into one and then get out of it even faster,” says the Kottayam-based director.

Nokku Vidya performance in the documentary Kuttanad: Oru Apoorva Marutha Thina
Nokku Vidya performance in the documentary Kuttanad: Oru Apoorva Marutha Thina

Actually, it is after making his mark as a director of documentaries that Pradeep turned to feature films. His latest documentary, Kuttanad: Oru Apoorva Marutha Thina, recently won the state award, for the best film on science and environment.

“The brief from the Public Relations Department of the Government of Kerala was to make a 25-minute film about the heritage of Kuttanad,” says Pradeep. Kuttanad… runs into 91 minutes.

“When I started researching for the film, I delved into the history, culture, farming, and many other aspects of Kuttanad. I found it all fascinating and I felt I needed much more time to tell the story,” he explains.

Looking back at his life as a youngster besotted with film, he recalls that he just missed the mark to qualify for the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune. Then Pradeep decided to make Oridam by investing his own money. “There was no producer to begin with, but later on, a Malayali working in the United States, Jesinlal James, came on board. I was able to rope in Geethu for the lead role, and that helped to sell the film. It was made on a shoe-string budget,” he says.

He believes even now it is possible to do good work in Malayalam outside the mainstream. “The taste of the Malayali audience has changed. There are people in Kerala who view cinema seriously. Our film festivals, big and small, are ample proof of that,” he says.

source:  http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Friday Review / by P.K. Ajith Kumar / Thiruvananthapuram – August 11th, 2016

Kerala government to explore new markets for native bamboo products

Industries Minister E P Jayarajan checks out the bamboo products at Bamboo Innovation Centre after the inauguration at Angamaly on Tuesday
Industries Minister E P Jayarajan checks out the bamboo products at Bamboo Innovation Centre after the inauguration at Angamaly on Tuesday

Kochi :

Industries Minister E P Jayarajan on Tuesday said the government would take initiatives to explore the national and international markets for bamboo products made in Kerala.

He was speaking after inaugurating the Bamboo Innovation Centre developed jointly by the government and the State Bamboo Mission at Angamaly.

The Bamboo Innovation Centre is envisaged to make and exhibit bamboo products of international quality. It is expected to introduce the latest developments in the global bamboo sector to the State’s bamboo industry, while opening up new opportunities for artisans here.

The Minister said bamboo products made at the Centre would be made available at tourist spots across the State, besides exhibiting at the annual bamboo products exhibition held in Kochi.  On the occasion, Jayarajan also inaugurated  training for the first batch of artisans. Referring to the Central Government’s amended forest rules prohibiting bamboo felling, Jayarajan said a practical solution was the need of the hour, rather than stubborn rules for environmental protection.  “In order to resolve the issues faced by the people of Kerala, we should embrace environment-friendly industrial development. The main crisis facing the bamboo sector is unavailability of raw material, which could be overcome easily by using the tissue culture method. It is high time we became self-sufficient in bamboo cultivation,” said the Minister, and pointed out that the Commerce Department under the State Government was being restructured to tap the international market of products manufactured in India. He also promised that the wages of persons working in the Kerala State Bamboo Corporation (KSBC) would be revised soon.

KSBC former chairman P J Joy, managing director Sukumaran Nair, Roji M John MLA and Angamaly municipal Chairperson M A Gracy also spoke.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Kochi / by Express News Service / August 17th, 2016

For Joseph, cattle rearing is not a job, but a childhood passion

P J Joseph, seen at his farm in Kadavanthra, has been rearing cattle for decades despite skyrocketing expenses
P J Joseph, seen at his farm in Kadavanthra, has been rearing cattle for decades despite skyrocketing expenses

Kochi  :

Is it possible to rear cattle in the middle of an urban city like Kochi? Ask PJ Joseph and the Kadavanthra resident will break into a smile in reply.

Joseph, who is from the Painuthara family, has been rearing a dozen cattle since his teenage days and on Wednesday, the civic body will felicitate him and five others as part of the programme organized to honour farmers at St Joseph’s church.

For Joseph, cattle rearing was a passion, a dream he nursed from his childhood. “I have 14 cows and it is not easy to rear them in a small compound in an unfavourable climate. My father too was a farmer and he had four cows. I used to assist him in herding and selling milk. Today, I have two of the Jersey variety, two Sindhi variety and the remaining are local crossbreeds. I sell nearly 120 litres of milk every day,” he said.

His farm is located in a five-cent plot behind his vehicle service centre near Padam bus stop. “Storing or disposing cow dung was a major issue earlier after houses were set up in the vicinity. Today, people are approaching me for manure for vegetable cultivation. Two Tamilians have been appointed to milk cows, while three from north India supply milk to households and keep the farm clean,” said Joseph, recollecting his teenage days when he used to do such chores.

Another helper supplies 30 bundles of grass every day. Space crunch had forced Joseph to convert his car porch into a storage area. “Rearing cows in city is a costly affair. It is not easy to convince your neighbours about your love for cattle rearing. Luckily, Joseph’s neighbours are relatives. He has been rearing cows for three decades now. Just think, how difficult it is to arrange grass, hay and adequate drinking water for the cattle,” said Johnny, a resident in his locality.

“People like Joseph are an inspiration and an example. The fact that he has been rearing cattle for decades despite skyrocketing expenses shows his dedication,” said Gracy Joseph, chairpersons, development committee.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Kochi / by Shyam PV / TNN / August 17th, 2016