A Golden Sunset

P S John, one of the oldest athletes in Kerala, at 87, looks back at his career and talks about his future plans

Illustration by Amit Bandre

By Shevlin Sebastian

P S John strides confidently onto the track at the World Masters Athletic championships at Lyon, France. He is wearing a green singlet and shorts. The word, ‘India’ is emblazoned on the front and the back. Astonishingly, there is only one other competitor in the 80m hurdles. He is a bespectacled Japanese, who is wearing a white cap.

They stand on the starting line. The starter fires the pistol. John is off immediately. Soon, he secures an easy lead. While the Japanese is trotting, John is running, striding over the eight hurdles and then sprinting to the finish.

The crowd claps as John raises his hands in triumph. He embraces his rival. Both are clearly out of breath, as they stand together posing for the photographers. Later, John raises the Indian flag, a happy smile on his face.

Thereafter, John wins a gold in the 200m hurdles and a bronze in the long jump. Owing to his spectacular performance, John is adjudged the ‘Best Master Athlete 2015’ by the Asia Masters Athletics organisation.

What is astonishing about his achievements is that John was 85 years old then. And he has been winning medals consistently over the decades at national and international competitions. His total haul is 138 medals (91 gold, 33 silver and 14 bronze).

At his home in Kanjirapally, John, 87, breaks into a smile as he remembers his achievements. “It is hard work and dedication that enabled me to win,” he says.

On most days, he can be seen at the athletics track of the St. Dominic's College, Kanjirapally. “The facilities are good,” says John. “The youngsters help me set up the hurdles.”

He trains for a couple of hours. “When you do training, you feel joyful,” says John. “No matter how difficult life is, on the track I forget everything.”

Asked how he got interested in athletics, John says that it was his joining the National Cadet Corps (first batch of the Travancore Battalion) in 1948 that made all the difference. At Thiruvananthapuram, he saw a group of Army men doing the hurdles. “I was immediately attracted to the sport,” he says. “Slowly, I began training with them. They taught me the right techniques. I began to practise regularly. Soon, I began winning medals.”

Asked why Indians don't do well in international athletic competitions, John says, “Youngsters don't practice enough. Most sportsmen start training a few months before an international meet. That will not yield results. You have to practise throughout the year, over many years, before you can do well.”

In his daily life, John is a farmer. He grows rubber, cocoa, bananas, jackfruit and organic vegetables. “I get pure milk straight from the cow,” says John. “There is a peaceful feeling when you work in Nature. Walking around enables me to keep fit. My aim is not to be bedridden for a single day.”

Before farming, John had a 33-year-long career as a teacher of Malayalam at the Gracey Memorial High School in Parathode, Kottayam. “I actually studied Sanskrit, but ended up teaching Malayalam,” says this father of two. While son Roy, an electronics engineer, runs his own business in Kochi, daughter Sindhu is a French teacher at Salem.

Meanwhile, when asked about his future plans, John says, “My aim is to take part in the 90-year category at an international event. Such a category does not exist. But if God allows me to reach that age, in good health, I will be the first to compete in this category.” 

(The New Indian Express, Kochi, Kozhikode, and Thiruvananthapuram)

When An Elephant Went Crazy

COLUMN: LOCATION DIARY

Actor Zarina Wahab talks about her experiences in the films, ‘Punnaram Cholli Cholli’,'Agar', 'Naayattu', 'Navarathinam' and 'Toofan'

By Shevlin Sebastian

The shoot of the ‘Areyarayo Kinginiyo’ song in ‘Punnaram Cholli Cholli’ (1985) was in front of a temple. Zarina Wahab was paired with Rahman. There were ten caparisoned elephants standing in the courtyard. The dance was being done in front of them.

The shoot was going along fine when suddenly, one man on the set irritated an elephant. The animal roared and began chasing the man, who fled, at high speed. The elephant then rushed to a nearby coconut grove and began ripping off the trees one by one. “Everybody was shocked,” says Zarina. “The cameraman, the director and all the actors moved away and watched the destruction from afar.” It took a mahout a long time to bring the elephant under control. Not surprisingly, the shoot was cancelled for the day.

Zarina had another encounter with an animal. In 'Agar', (1977), director Ismail Shroff told Zarina she had to ride a horse because she, along with the hero, played by Amal Palekar, were on their honeymoon in Kashmir. “I was very scared of horses,” says Zarina. “Ismail wanted the horse to go fast, so I put my foot down. Ismail was deeply upset.”

In the end, the scene was shot of the two horses ambling side by side. “When I saw it on the screen, I realized that the movement of the horses did not match the mood,” says Zarina. “I felt bad.”

But Zarina felt good on the sets of 'Naayattu' (1980), a remake of the Hindi film, 'Zanjeer', where she acted opposite Prem Nazir. “He was such a big star, but what impressed me was how warm, kind and down-to-earth he was,” says Zarina. “I would always sit behind him. Whenever the shot was ready he would go and act, without any fuss.”

Another great artist whom Zarina met was MG Ramachandran (MGR). This was for the 1977 film, 'Navarathinam' (Nine Gems). At that time, Zarina had a friend Vijaya who belonged to her hometown of Vishakapatnam. Vijaya had shifted to Chennai and was doing small roles.

One day Zarina introduced her friend to MGR at Gemini Studios in Chennai.

She said, “Sir, this is my friend Vijaya. If there are any roles, can you give her a chance?”

MGR remained silent and just stared at Zarina.

After a few moments, Zarina said, “Sorry Sir, did I say anything wrong?”

MGR shook his head and said, “In my entire career, I have worked with so many heroines. But you are the first woman who is suggesting another female for a role.”

On the sets of ‘Toofan’ (1989), it was Zarina’s turn to show appreciation. The main role was being played by Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan.

The shoot was in a jungle at Mysore. So, there were no make-up rooms. Instead, the crew made a small hut where everyone would do their make-up and change their clothes. One morning, at 7 a.m., Zarina went inside the hut and did her make-up. Since nobody called her, she remained inside for the next three hours.

But when she came out she got a shock: Amitabh was sitting under a tree and getting his make-up done. “I rushed up and said, ‘I am so sorry Sir, I did not know you were here. You should have sent someone to tell me. I would have come out’,” says Zarina.

Amitabh remained calm and said, “It's all right. Ladies need the make-up room more than gents.”

A smiling Zarina says, “Amitabh was a superstar, but he did not suffer from a superiority complex. In fact, he is a very nice man.” 

(The New Indian Express, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram) 

Turning The Tables On Bad Backs

Thanks to the Allen Table, spinal surgeries at a hospital in Kerala have become so much more easier

Photos:  Dr. C. Anu Thomas, senior consultant neuro-surgeon (extreme left) with his team; the Allen Advance Table 

By Shevlin Sebastian

K. Balan lies on a table in the operating theatre of the Indo-American Hospital at Chemmanakary (25 kms from Kochi). Dr. C. Anu Thomas, senior consultant neuro-surgeon, prepares to release a compressed nerve in the fifth vertebrae. For several weeks, the 38-year-old Balan had been bed-ridden, because of the pain. He had tried Allopathy as well as Ayurveda treatment, before he came to the hospital, in a state of desperation.

“This is a routine minimally invasive surgery,” says Thomas. But there is one difference. Balan is lying on the Allen Advance Table. This table has been imported from the USA at a cost of over Rs 1 crore.

The advantage of this table is that, at the press of a button, it can turn 360 degrees, with the patient strapped in. “Before we got this table, when we had to do a back surgery, six people had to physically lift the patient, move him to another bed, and turn him over,” says Thomas. “When a person has a fracture of the spine, any minor movement can be harmful. So, you have to be very careful. But, on the Allen Table, this problem does not arise at all. Patient safety is 100 per cent.”

There are other advantages, too. Since the equipment is made of carbon, when an image of the spine is taken, with the C-Arm, a radiological tool, only the image of the spine can be seen. “In the case of an ordinary table, because it is made of steel and other materials, it will appear as markings on the image,” says Dr. Jain George P, the chief of neurosurgery. “So the visuals lack clarity. Without clear visuals, it is difficult to operate accurately.”

Interestingly, the time taken for a surgery has been reduced. “In complex surgical cases, we save between 30 minutes and an hour, because we don't need to move the patient,” says Dr. Jaser Mohammed Iqbal, consultant anaesthesiologist. “Most surgeries take anywhere between three to nine hours.” These include operations for disc hernia, tumours, spinal deformity, and bone fractures on the spinal column – cranio-cervical, thoracic and lumbosacral.

Interestingly, the cost for patients have not been increased. “That is because most of our clientele come from middle and lower-middle class families,” says Dr. Thomas. “So we do not want to place an undue burden on them.”

Asked why the Allen Table is not yet being used in India, by other hospitals, Jain says that the prohibitive cost is the major deterrent. “Also, there is a lack of awareness about it among medical professionals,” he says. “I came to know about it only when I went to do fellowships in Detroit and Tampa, USA. Maybe, the company could do some aggressive marketing in India.”

Meanwhile, Balan, a truck driver, is recuperating steadily, following the surgery. “I don't feel any pain at all,” he says. But he has ensured that he takes the tablets daily, as prescribed by the doctor. For a long time, Balan had been extremely worried, because he is the sole bread-winner for his family, which consists of his wife, two children and parents. “In the end, everything has worked out well,” he says, with a smile. 

(Sunday Magazine, The New Indian Express, South India and Delhi) 

By The Banks Of The Chalakudy

At the Rasa Gurukal, in Chalakudy Kerala, Das Sreedharan focuses on the traditional ways of cooking and healing

Photo of Das Sreedharan by Albin Mathew; a foreign lady at the Gurukul

By Shevlin Sebastian

Just before sunrise, on most mornings, Das Sreedharan steps out of his bungalow at the Rasa Gurukul on the banks of the Chalakudy river (33 kms from Kochi). He is wearing a striped purple shirt and Kerala-style mundu. He steps on to the back of a bullock cart. There are several wooden seats. The driver then leads the oxen forward. And Das leans back and inhales the fresh air.

This is a daily ritual for Das. “On a bullock cart, you are moving at the pace of nature,” he says. “You can feel the rhythm of the animals. And I am reminded of my forefathers and the life they led.”

When the cart stops, Das steps down and gazes around: there are rabbits and hens running about, apart from insects and birds. But the big charm is the river flowing nearby. “When you sit on the bank, it is so silent, you can hear the gurgling of the waters,” he says. “It is very soothing.”

The Rasa Gurukul farm retreat is set in 25 acres. There are four cottages and 16 double rooms. But this is no ordinary resort.

It is a place where all kinds of vegetables are grown organically. These include traditional Kerala rice, tapioca, bitter gourd, beans, black pepper, turmeric, and sugarcane. “For cultivation, we use ancient methods like cow dung,” says Das. “We avoid chemicals and fertilisers. As a result, there is a good yield, it is healthy and cost-effective.”

When visitors arrive, from Kochi, other parts of India, Europe, and the USA, Das encourages them to immerse themselves in the local milieu. So, they learn yoga, make mats and bronze vessels from local artisans, get a massage at the Sri Subramania Ayurveda health clinic and learn a bit of Mohiniyattom and other traditional art forms.

“Apart from that, there are cottage industries like blacksmiths, a pottery and weaving unit, a coconut oil mill, and a craft section where bags, from banana fibres are made,” says Das. “Again visitors are encouraged to participate in these activities.

But for Das, who runs three ‘Rasa’ restaurants in London, the primary focus is on food. “Indian food, which is 5000 years old, has one of the most unique cuisines in the world,” he says. “Nobody uses pure spices the way Indians do. And they are all so therapeutic.”

For example, turmeric is an antiseptic, which purifies the blood and fights cancer. “Ginger is soothing for a sore throat,” says Das. “Black pepper helps in combating colds and fevers, while mustard alleviates arthritic pain and stimulates hair growth. Our spices have always strengthened the immune system.”

So for Das, the main aim is to foster the power of long-established cooking. That’s because, modern cuisine, the world over, with its many artificial ingredients, has damaged the quality of food in a big way. “I want to develop a system whereby we can protect traditional food and culture,” he says.

One of the ways is through the annual Kerala Food Festival which Das holds every September in London. He also goes to schools to inspire children and teachers to keep their faith in home cooking.

And he has plans for the Rasa Gurukul, too. On September 9, this year, Das is planning a 24 hour non-stop harvest festival. There will be a demonstration of how rice is harvested from the seed to the grain. Apart from that, there will be games, folk music and dances of the harvest season. “It’s a mission,” says Das, with a smile. 

(Sunday Magazine, The New Indian Express, South India and Delhi)  

All The Write Stuff

Scriptwriter/actor Murali Gopy reflects on his writing career as his film, 'Tiyaan' gets released, which will be followed by ‘Kammara Sambhavam’

Photos: Murali Gopy taken by Albin Mathew; the poster of 'Tiyaan'

By Shevlin Sebastian

Scriptwriter/actor Murali Gopy stared out of the glass-paned window of his seventh floor hotel room in Kochi, and said, “Let me give you some perspective. The budget of 'Tiyaan' (which was released recently) is Rs 18 crore. This is half the cost of the climax of 'Bahubaali'. But yes, in Mollywood, this is regarded as a big-budget film.” 

 

Scripted by Murali, 'Tiyaan' is a socio-political drama. While star Prithviraj plays the lead role of Aslan Muhammad, his brother Indrajith plays a character called Pattabhi Raman. The shoot took place outside Kerala, in places like Leh, Mumbai, Nasik, Manali, Allahabad and the Ramoji Rao Film City in Hyderabad.

 

“In 'Tiyaan', like my earlier films, 'Ee Adutha Kaalathu' and 'Left Right Left', I have looked at how a man reacts to contemporary politics and issues,” says Murali.

 

Even as he talks, the shoot for ‘Kammara Sambhavam’, which is penned by Murali, has begun. In this film, comic superstar Dileep has moved in a new direction: he plays a 94-year-old man. “Among our stars, Dileep's talent has not been explored much, except in comedy,” says Murali. “I always felt he could do grey shades.”

Following these two, Murali will be writing a script for a film called 'Lucifer', in which Mohanlal plays the hero.

 

Like most people in Kerala, Murali is a fan. “Mohanlal is the all-time great, in terms of crowd-pulling, charisma, and acting talent,” says Murali. “It is a God’s gift. So, when such a person acts in your film, it is like preparing your house to host an emperor.”

So, is he nervous that although the film's shoot is scheduled for May, 2018, he has to yet write the script? Murali smiles and says, “I only have to write. For that, I don’t need to shiver. The pen needs a steadiness of the hand and mind. Writing is a meditative exercise. You have to go within and come out with whatever is inside you.”

And it seems to have worked, because Murali is noted for his scripts. Asked the qualities of a good script, he says, “There should always be a take-home element for the viewer. That is what I aim for. Secondly, I will only write if I have something to say. This has always been a promise to myself. At the same time, I don’t want to compromise on the entertainment value, because I want people to come and see my films. I don’t want to write for award juries at film festivals.” 

(Sunday Magazine, The New Indian Express, South India and Delhi)

Highlighting A Social Stigma

Malayalee Priyanka Prakash, along with the team at L&K Saatchi & Saatchi, has just won the Cannes Lion (Gold) in the glass category for their campaign about menstruation

Photo by Albin Mathew 

By Shevlin Sebastian

Priyanka Prakash was feeling flustered. At a government school, in a village near Mumbai, 12-year-old Megha would give the dialogues perfectly. But the moment, she sat on a swing, and the cameras started to roll, she would freeze up. Take after take had to be aborted. Priyanka tried to calm down Megha. Several schoolgirls, who were watching the shoot, offered words of encouragement. Finally, it was decided they would try one last time.

And that was when Megha delivered. “Everyone went to the circus,” says Megha, in the one-minute advertisement. “Sanaa and Niyati saw elephants and lions and tigers. They had so much fun. But this time I had to miss the circus.” Several girls spoke about missing many interesting events. Then a voiceover says, “Over 40 million girls in India are house-bound for five days every month, because they have nowhere to go to change during their period. Finally, there is a sanitary solution that lasts 12 hours: Saafkins, to give her five of those days back. Just Rs 150 will ensure her a year of not missing out: www.giveher5.org.”

The napkin, using Swiss technology, enables users to rewash it and it can be used safely for a year.

This campaign won one of the biggest awards in international advertising:  the Cannes Lion (Gold) in the glass category, which received more than 200 entries worldwide. The prize is given for any ground-breaking work which increases gender equality.

The leading light behind the campaign is the Mumbai-based Malayalee Priyanka, who is a creative director of Law & Kenneth Saatchi & Saatchi. “It was an overwhelming moment for me, my colleague Meghna Das, and [Chief Creative Officer] Delna Sethan,” says Priyanka, at the Kochi home of her parents, Prakash and Maya Madatilkat. “My very first entry, and I get a gold!”

It is a campaign that is close to Priyanka’s heart because of the subject. “Most girls in rural areas do not have any sort of sanitary protection and are using ash, sand, husk, and cloth,” she says. “It is very unhygienic. Society does not allow the girl to say that she is going through a menstrual period. This brings about a sense of shame. And so I am glad that I could do my bit to bring about a social awareness.”

This is not the first award that Priyanka has won. In 2016, she won the Laadli Media and Advertising Award (Jury Appreciation) for the Pampers ‘It Takes 2’ campaign.

“This was a movement to motivate fathers to take equal responsibility towards baby care,” says Priyanka. “We came up with the finding that the involvement of both parents is much more advantageous for the baby when it comes to cognitive development, social and physical skills. In India, a dad gets involved only when the child learns to speak or play. So, we wanted to change the mindset.”

In fact, both these advertisements reflect the current trend in advertising now. “Most of the brands just don't go out there and say, ‘Here is our product, please buy it,’” says Priyanka, who did her Masters in Creative Advertising from Falmouth University (UK). “Instead, every brand wants to stand for a bigger cause.”

One reason for this is that it is getting far more difficult to engage an audience these days. “We are dealing with three screens: the TV, laptop and the mobile,” says Priyanka. “The moment there is an ad break, people move away. So, you need to tell a story and stand for something bigger.”

And, in her own way, Priyanka is also standing for something bigger.  

(The New Indian Express, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode)

Lessons From Mohanlal

COLUMN: LOCATION DIARY

Actor Meera Vasudevan talks about her experiences in the films, ‘Thanmathra’, ‘Vairam: Fight for Justice’, and the upcoming ‘Chakkaramavin Kombath’

 

Photos: Meera Vasudevan; Mohanlal and Meera in scenes from 'Thanmathra' 

By Shevlin Sebastian

 

On the terrace of a Housing Board building in Thiruvananthapuram, actor Meera Vasudevan waited with bated breath. She was about to meet Mollywood superstar Mohanlal before the start of Blessy’s ‘Thanmathra’ (2005). In order to ensure that there were no goof-ups, Meera had already memorised 30 lines of dialogue.

 

There were reasons behind Meera’s nervousness. She had not seen a single Malayalam film in her life, except for a few glimpses, as she was walking through the living room at her home in Mumbai because her mom, who loved Malayalam films, would be watching one on TV.

 

Soon, Mohanlal arrived. But before Meera could say anything, he said, with a smile, “Hi Meera, The Malayalam film industry welcomes you.”

 

A shocked Meera recalls, “I was so taken aback by his simple and friendly approach, as well as his humility.”

 

It was a hectic shoot. In the film, Meera plays Lekha Ramesan, the wife of Mohanlal. “We were both exhausted,” says Meera.

 

It was 1.30 a.m. “So there was a scene on a bed, where we were lying next to each other,” says Meera. As another shot was getting readied, Mohanlal put his head to one side, and went into a deep sleep. Meera also put her head on the other side and did the same.

 

An hour later, they were both woken up, with Blessy saying, “Rolling, Action.” Says Meera, “Both Mohanlal Sir and I looked confused, not knowing where we were. In the end, we started laughing.”

 

It was a learning experience for Meera. “Not once did Mohanlal Sir throw any tantrums,” says Meera. “He was most flexible and adjusting. He would shoot till 4 a.m., and still be ready at 5 a.m., if necessary. From Mohanlal Sir, I learned how to be co-operative and adjust patiently to the film-making process.”

 

Indeed, for the film, ‘Vairam: Fight for Justice’ (2009) Meera had to do a lot of adjusting. She plays the wife of the actor Pashupati. And there is an emotional scene when they realise their daughter had been raped and killed.

 

In this sequence, they are supposed to be walking next to each other. But since Pashupati is a very tall man, the crew placed four bricks one on top of another, and formed a line, so that Meera could reach his height. “I had to walk on these bricks very carefully, and also look emotionally upset, with tears flowing down my face,” says Meera.

 

However, there were hilarious moments, “Many times, I slipped and almost fell down. And Pashupati would catch me at the last moment,” says Meera. “Thankfully, since the camera was focused only on our faces, I was able to grab Pashupati’s shirt throughout. But in the end, we managed to get the shoot done, without too many retakes.”

 

For the shoot of Meera’s upcoming ‘Chakkaramavin Kombath’, the crew had to solve another kind of difficulty. The sequences were shot in a posh bungalow at Kochi, which had a swimming pool. This was supposed to be the house of Dr. Lucy Mathew, played by Meera.

 

One hour before the shoot began, when Meera would arrive, there would be plenty of water in the taps. “But once the entire crew came, the taps would go dry,” says Meera. “The house owner said that there was a problem with the pump and the water could not be pumped up to the tank.”

 

Unfortunately, this ‘man-made’ problem continued throughout the shoot. In the end, the crew had no option, but to draw water from the swimming pool. “This was ironic, since the movie deals with water conservation,” says Meera. “Maybe, the owner should have played the hero.” 

(The New Indian Express, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode) 

Maximum Creativity

Author MK Harikumar focuses on the great Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh in his Malayalam novel 'Vangoginu'

Photos: Self-Portrait of Vincent Van Gogh with damaged ear; author MK Harikumar 

By Shevlin Sebastian

The whole world knows that the legendary Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh cut off his own ear, in a fit of madness, on December 23, 1888. But author MK Harikumar, in his third Malayalam novel, 'Vangoginu' (Surya Books), gives a different angle.

“According to my research, the painter Paul Gauguin, who was staying with him,

had a fight with Vincent over a painting, which one of them had done,” says Harikumar. “Paul had a sword. He was intoxicated. He swung his sword and cut off Vincent's ear. That is what I have written in the novel.”

What was interesting is that, according to history, Paul left the house the night of the incident and the duo never met again.

Adds Harikumar, “I don't think Vincent was so abnormal that he would cut off his own ear. Look at his work at that time: he was doing realistic paintings. I don't think a mad man could paint with so much of logic and clarity.”

Asked how he got the idea to write a novel on Van Gogh, Harikumar says, “I like his paintings a lot. He was a realistic painter, yet each of his works repeatedly speaks to us no matter how many times we view it. The painting is an object, yet, it is a living, breathing presence, with an underlying power.”

Harikumar is especially enamoured of 'The Potato Eaters'. It is a group of peasants sitting inside a wooden house, eating a bowl of potatoes. “It is a night scene, but their mood is communicated very powerfully to us,” says Harikumar.

Another painting which affected Harikumar was called 'Three pairs of shoes'. “Each pair represents life,” says Harikumar. “In one pair, it seems life is still. In another, turned to one side, it indicates a withdrawal from life, while the third pair, of which one shoe is overturned, could mean that the person who wears them has thoughts of suicide.”

Asked about the qualities of Van Gogh, Harikumar says, “Vincent was strongly creative, but weak in other aspects of his life. He had an affair with a prostitute. Then she left. Thereafter, he became an alcoholic. He was a loner by instinct. In fact, the only sustained relationship he had was with his brother Theo.”

And it was Theo who bought one work, even though Vincent had an output of 2100 paintings. “It is a tragic story,” says Harikumar. “And to think that his works sell in the millions of dollars these days.” (Examples: the painting 'Irises' sold for $53.9 million, while 'Portrait of Dr. Gachet' fetched $82.5 million).

Interestingly, in the novel, Harikumar, who has published several books of criticism, writes it like a journalist doing reports about the life and death of Vincent. “So, there are interviews with Van Gogh as well as his friends, and a prostitute called Rachel,” says Harikumar

Meanwhile, when asked about whether Malayalam readers are aware of Vincent, he says, “Definitely. In fact, the cutting of his ear is part of a lesson in schools. His birthdays are celebrated with write-ups in the newspapers. And serious readers are all aware of his greatness.”

Finally, in a clever marketing gimmick, there are ten covers. But it happened by accident. Artist Sabu Puthuparamban showed Harikumar four covers. “I said I wanted all four,” says Harikumar, the editor of Surya Books. “In the end we decided to make 10 different covers. This is a celebration of the greatness of Vincent Van Gogh.” 

(The New Indian Express, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram)

Land For All

Sulaiman Karadan talks about the first Land Expo in Kerala, on July 3-4, at Kochi, and about the real estate business

By Shevlin Sebastian

Sulaiman Karadan, of the real-estate firm, Karadan Lands, would often go to a restaurant in Kozhikode to have a rice meal on a banana leaf. One day, the waiter, Mani, asked him what he did. “Real estate,” replied Sulaiman. Mani said, “I know of a property which the owner wants to sell.”

So Sulaiman followed up with the owner and a deal for the 70 cent property was done. “I got a nice margin,” says Sulaiman. But he did not forget Mani. A month later, he went and gave Rs 1 lakh as a gift to the astonished waiter.

On another day, at 6 a.m., Sulaiman was travelling in a car at Kozhikode when he noticed a drunk urinating on the shutter of a building. “I asked him why he was doing this,” says Sulaiman.

The drunk asked Sulaiman who he was.

“I am the owner of this building,” said Sulaiman.

The drunk then took Sulaiman's visiting card. The next day, when he was sober, he went to Sulaiman's office and asked whether the building was for sale. Sulaiman nodded. Thereafter, he brought a client and the deal was done.

“I gave him a commission of 2.5 per cent,” says Sulaiman. “The rest estate business thrives on these accidental meetings.”

With this thought in mind, Sulaiman is setting up Kerala's first Land Expo at the Le Meridien, Kochi on July 3-4. “There are about 650 properties, across 14 districts, which are on sale,” says Sulaiman. “It will range from 2 cents to several acres. We have a legal wing which has ensured that all papers are in order.”

Interestingly, among all the properties that Sulaiman saw, the one he liked the most is a two-acre property at Wayanad, which has a lake in it. “At Rs 4 crore, I am unable to afford it,” he says, with a smile.

Sulaiman expects at least 5000 visitors to come and see what is on offer.

Apart from the properties, there will be a series of talks. Among them, Padma Shri awardee G Shankar, of the Habitat Technology Group, will speak on Sustainable Habitat Development, while B R Ajit, Chairman of the Indian Institute of Architects will talk about sustainable architecture.

“There will also be an interaction with the experts, so that the visitors will get an idea of how to build homes in a sustainable manner, and get an idea of land utilisation, reforms, investment, and management,” says Sulaiman.

Meanwhile, when asked about the effects of the November 8 demonitisation, last year, Sulaiman says, “For nearly five months, after that, there was no business at all. But, in April, the funds slowly began coming in. Now there are genuine buyers. There is far less black money. I expect that in future land prices will go down. Many middle class people will be able to afford to buy property.”

And Sulaiman is happy about it. At his tastefully decorated office in Panampilly Nagar, Kochi, Sulaiman comes across as a man who is calm and laid-back. He has indeed come a long way. The entrepreneur grew up in Edakkara, near Nilambur. When he completed his Class 8 exams, Sulaiman opted out and began helping his father in the timber business. However, in 1992, he decided to move to real estate. “The margins are better,” he says.

Asked for tips on doing well in the real-estate business, Sulaiman says, “It is very important that you choose the right buyer and seller. This evaluation comes from intuition and experience. For me, it has been a fascinating profession, because you meet all sorts of people.” 

(The New Indian Express, Kochi, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram)