Taking her powerful presence beyond the stage and the screen, Manju Warrier stepped into the world of words with the release of her first book ‘Sallapam’ at a function organised as part of the 18th International Book Festival organised by DC Books here on Friday.
Aswathi Tirunal Gowri Lakshmi Bai, member of the ruling family of erstwhile Travancore, handed over the first copy of the book to film director Sibi Malayil.
She said that she had one similarity with Ms. Warrier in that both of them published their first book in the same way — as a collection of articles published over several months in the weekend edition of a Malayalam daily.
“I am yet to read her book. But, I am sure it will be more interesting than mine as it will be laced with experiences from her colourful life in cinema,” she said.
Mr. Sibi Malayil said that Ms. Warrier was an actor with an inborn talent, which helped her leave a mark in the short period that she was part of Malayalam cinema.
“Manju acted only for three years in a career spanning just 20 films. But she managed to create a huge impact with that. I had the privilege of working with her in three films. Now that she is making a comeback, we can expect many more memorable characters in the future,” he said. Bhagyalakshmi, dubbing artiste, who also wrote the book’s preface, said she was amazed by the actor’s strong will.
“The way she stood firm, the hard decisions she took amaze me. Even when she stayed away from the limelight after sacrificing her craft for her family, she stayed true to her decision for 14 years, until she made the decision to make a comeback,” she said.
Ms. Warrier, in her response, said the book was part of a series of coincidences in her life.
