‘I too read Basheer as a child; Lucky to play the characters,’ Mammootty honours the iconic writer

Actor Mammootty reflects on the 80th anniversary of Vaikom Muhammad Basheer's 'Balyakalasakhi' and the privilege of portraying Basheer's characters .

'Balyakalasakhi' is turning 80. The first thought that comes to mind is how old Majeed and Suhara would be. The truth is, they do not age. In the hearts of the readers, Suhara is seven and Majeed is nine. Their childhood remains evergreen.

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The name Vaikom Muhammad Basheer is connected with my life not only because of the place of my birth but also due to certain intangible links. Like any Malayali, I too read Basheer when I was young. During the days when I was an aspiring actor and later when I entered the cinema, I never thought that Basheer would somehow be a part of me. But time gave me the rare assignment of playing the role of Basheer as well as his characters.

I got the chance to portray Basheer himself in 'Mathilukal'. His philosophical mindset was resonating within me at the time. Years later, I portrayed Majeed in 'Balyakalasakhi'. I consider myself fortunate to have played three Basheerian characters in total, including Majeed's father in the same film. It's truly one of the greatest blessings of acting to bring to life on the silver screen both the renowned storyteller as well as the characters he created.

'Balyakalasakhi' was filmed on Perumbalam Island. It felt like a place where the innocence of Majeed and Suhara's childhood lingered. The mangoes they shared, the bunches of flowers they collected, and the echoing sound of 'jug jugoo...jug jugoo...' everything seemed to leap out from the pages from a short story.

Congratulations to dear Majeed and Suhara, who have reached their 80th year of childhood…