When he was wheeled out of his car at the entrance of a private resort in Kovalam on Saturday morning, Jagathy Sreekumar was surrounded by a posse of television cameras. His family members had to wait some moments there, before they could take him in. All through the wait, in the scorching heat, the comedy legend of Malayalam cinema maintained a graceful smile and kept looking around him, pausing sometimes to register familiar faces in the crowd.
Two-year gapIn his first appearance at a public function, two years after a near-fatal road accident, the actor displayed signs of getting back to his former self. The function was organised as part of the launch of the docudrama ‘The Walking Mind,’ on the life of those affected with the brittle bone disease (Osteogenesis Imperfecta). A group of children and grownups, some moderately, others acutely affected by the disease, who had gathered earlier at the venue, looked visibly happy at his presence.
In what looked like a comeback of sorts to public life, he was more at ease with himself compared to his earlier appearances before the cameras at his home. At the inaugural function, he lighted the ceremonial lamp. With him on the stage were music director M. Jayachandran, magician Gopinath Muthukad and gynaecologist Subhadra Nair, who was recently awarded the Padma Shri.
Later, he sat comfortably among the audience to watch the children afflicted by brittle bone disease, singing and dancing.