John Paul: Writer who experimented with compassion in Malayalam cinema

The perpetual smile that mesmerized generations of Malayalees is no more. John Paul was an omnipresent figure who was always fascinated by his pure love for cinema, and that of characters he discussed with Malayalees. One could hardly forget the fragile nature of characters like Ravunni Nair and Saraswathi Amma in 'Oru Minnaminunginte Nurunguvettam' or the optimistic young man Narayanankutty in 'Keli'. In 'Soorya Gayathri', we witness Dr Balasubrahmaniam struggling to cope with the losses of his life. 

His deep understanding of cinema, and his lidless eye watching over its evolution, have lately caught the attention of younger generations through television programmes. Despite not being actively involved in contemporary movies, he was a writer who accepted and embraced the changing dynamics of cinema. Even as we look at the screenplay of his last movie, ‘Pranaya Meenukalude Kadal’, directed by Kamal, one could see a writer trying to experiment with the changing times. 

It is worth remembering that legendary director Bharathan trusted John Paul for writing scripts due to his ability to divulge into the psyche of characters Bharatan demanded in his movies. By skimming through the complexities of day to day life and exploring the fate of human life, John Paul taught Malayalees to love and feel the pain of despair at the same time. 
 
He was a figure that introduced a new version of storytelling that was quite new to the Malayalam film industry. His first screenplay for the 1980 cult classic ‘Chamaram’, was a fresh take on a love story that was unexplored in Indian Cinema. The movie discussed the affair between a student and a lecturer. Despite being an experiment, the movie went on to become the most celebrated campus movie of the era. By the time he scripted I V Sasi’s classic ‘Athirathram,’ he had established himself as a stand-out figure in Malayalam.

His exploration of romance in different scenarios of life gifted us with movies like Unnikale Oru Kadha Parayam, Oru Minnaminunginte Nurunguvettam, Keli and many more. From there on, he went on to script more than 100 movies. His demise is a great loss for Malayalees and to a generation who grew up watching the characters, he penned.