S trange are the ways of the human mind. The more you learn about it, the more intriguing it turns out to be. Medical practitioners and scientists continue to study and explore its numerous layers. It is this aspect that got Ananthapadmanabhan to conceptualise a programme based on psychology.
‘Rahasya Sancharangal’, a show on Asianet Plus, is a fictionalised representation of real-life instances from the case file of a reputed clinical psychologist. A veteran in the television industry, Ananthapadmanabhan, who completes 15 years in the field, sheds light on the show and the format in an interview with Friday Review . Excerpts:
Why did you choose such a subject?
This is an untapped topic. Usually we restrict psychology to discussions or debates. In the film industry, we have had only few movies that dealt with the topic, movies such as Punarjanmam, Ulladakkam, and Manichitrathazhu , to name a few. When I was young I got interested in Alfred Hitchcock’s book, Solve-Them-Yourself Mysteries , in my father’s (late filmmaker Padmarajan) library. Although it wasn’t about psychology - it was more about mysteries around unsolved crimes – the book intrigued me. Hitchcock, who was also the narrator of the stories, left behind many clues to solve the crime, but it was never easy. That book influenced me a lot. Also, I felt that we should give the audience something more than the usual crime-related shows that have become a staple on every channel. I happened to interact with K. Gireesh, an assistant professor in clinical psychology working at the Department of Psychiatry in Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram. The cases he talked about led to this programme. I felt that fictionalising the instances would take the subject to more people. Once we finalise a particular case, I write the story, adding more characters or incidents. While I write the script and look at production, Manu M.S. helps me with directing the fictionalised segment. A story is usually narrated in two or three episodes.
Ananthapadmanabhan
What is the show about?
Gireesh is our resource person. We don’t reveal the identity of the patient and take liberties with characters and situations without moving away from the actual psychological problem the person is facing. Actor-scenarist-director Shankar Ramakrishnan had been anchoring the show till he became busy with his new film. Jagadeesh has replaced him for the time being. The story unfolds through the anchor and Gireesh.
The cases
We have taken up cases that discuss people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), multiple personality disorder, specific personality disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTDO), dependency disorder... The show features only those cases in which the person has fully recovered from a particular psychological condition. Each episode has different artistes and different locations. All artistes are newcomers.
Memorable episodes
Each case is unique and intriguing. There was this woman who had OCD; continuous medication had left her in a vegetative state. After prolonged examination, the doctor came to understand that she was abused as a child and that had haunted her for so long that she couldn’t get over it. There is another story about a government employee who used to consider himself as a saviour of women. He was upset by his mother’s and sister’s illicit affairs.
Challenges
The biggest challenge was that we had no predecessor on this subject. We had to make our own way. Psychological problems are almost always considered taboo and never discussed openly. Our society has a lot of pre-conceived notions about it and many people are secretive about consulting a specialist. On the creative level, it was exciting to explore a new horizon.
(‘Rahasya Sancharangal’ is aired Monday to Wednesday at 9 p.m. on Asianet Plus)
