Occupation: First assistant in movies
Cinema has given me a life, a future. I joined the industry as an 18-year-old apprentice in 1987-88. My family, comprising my parents, six sisters and younger brother, was in dire straits and my brother-in-law took me to Chennai where he worked in an outdoor unit. My first work as an apprentice of Jubilee Cine Outdoor Unit was for a stunt scene in a Telugu cinema in Arunachalam studio. It does not exist now. In those days Chennai was the centre of filmmaking and all South Indian films, including Malayalam films, no matter where they were shot, would finally come to Chennai for some work or the other.
Apprentices like me learnt on the job. Over the next few years I worked with the unit for several films in different languages. Yes, it was thrilling to see the stars at such close quarters; stars that we could see only on the silver screen. But for me the work was a lifeline to rescue my family. My father used to buy and sell bulls in Aralumoodu market. My mother also engaged in small businesses to makes ends. But in one year, the copra they had bought for Rs.5,000 got spoilt because of unseasonal rain. That pushed us into a vicious cycle of debt. That was why I had to do something to help my family. I had studied till class ten but could not pass the examination and there was no way I could afford to spend my time studying for another try.
My work in the outdoor unit took me to different places in India. Every day the office would put out a list of who would be assigned to which film and we had to go accordingly. We got to see how much work goes behind a film. Even leading stars like Lal sir [Mohanlal] and Mammookka [Mammootty] would pitch in to help the crew. Once, while shooting near Athirapally falls, we had to trek quite a distance with our equipment. I remember Lal sir [Mohanlal] helping us out by carrying a reflector.
Manu Uncle was my first Malayalam film. I went on to work with film directors like Joshiy sir and Shaji Kailas sir. After noticing my work in Indrajalam, Appu and Perumthachan , Santosh Sivan sir asked me if I wanted to assist him. It was a golden opportunity for someone like me. Unfortunately, I was not in a position to take it up. Since I was working with an outdoor unit, they would not have liked it if I went to work with someone else and I could not afford to wait without work either. So I had to let that offer go with great disappointment.
In 1996-97, along with two others, we began a crane lending unit, Celebrate Cine Crane, with its headquarters in Thrissur. That ensured all of us a steady income and I could take up the chance to assist directors like Joshiy sir and Shaji sir. During the shooting of Narasimham , directed by Shaji sir, he had to go to Chennai for the work of Vanchinathan in Tamil. There was a song and a few scenes that were remaining. He requested Ranji ettan [director-scenarist Ranjith] to wrap up the shooting. That was how I got the chance to work with Ranji ettan. He has been my benefactor and I cannot tell you how much I owe him. It is not every day that leading directors will call a person who has come through the ranks to assist him or even notice him. But Ranji ettan did that and since then I have assisted him in all his films. I will also be working in his Leela , a film that will go on the floor soon. I have assisted Anwar Rasheed, Padmakumar, Bipin Prabhakaran, Deepan…
And what of my family? Yes, my sisters are all well-settled and my younger brother is also in the industry. My wife, Sribindu, and two children Adityan Gopakumar and Ananthu Gopakumar stay in my village in Neyyattinkara. My parents are no more. I managed to buy eight cents of land and built a house there. My eldest son topped his school in the Plus Two and is now attending a coaching school in Kozhikode. His ambition is to join the defence forces.
I dream of directing a film someday.
(A weekly column on men and women who make Thiruvananthapuram what it is)
