Exploring the ‘human aspect of history’

“History is my favourite subject,” confesses Thachom Poyil Rajeevan, a well-known poet and novelist from Kerala.

Speaking to The Hindu on the sidelines of the screening of Malayalam film ‘Njan’ (Self Portrait) at Mukhadhara Auditorium in the city on Saturday evening, the writer talks about his novel ‘ KTN Kottoor: Ezhuthum Jeevithavum ’ which has now been made into this film.

This, however, is not the first time Rajeevan – who writes both in Malayalam and English – has had a brush with films.

His earlier novel

Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathira Kolapathakathinte Katha (Paleri Manikyam: A Midnight Murder Mystery) was adapted into a film by the same name by director Ranjith and had actor Mammootty playing three major characters.

“This novel KTN Kottoor: Ezhuthum Jevvithavum has also been adapted as a movie by Renjith who has called it ‘Njaan’. It deals with the life of a young boy who sees the idea of freedom becoming a reality for India. In the process he is forced to struggle with his internal conflict of being a poet while being involved in politics. He realises that politics means compromising and that it does not naturally lead to mass benefit and good for all,’’ says Rajeevan.

“The climax is when the hero realises that majority consent doesn’t often mean that it is ethically correct,’’ adds Rajeevan. Stating that the novel and the film’s central message holds true even today many decades after India gained freedom Mr. Rajeevan says: “The novel and the film talks about politics and how being involved in it doesn’t translate into development for the poorest of the poor. It also states that politics is different from what an individual really thinks and believes in and his core ethics.’’

“The human aspect of history fascinates me. We all know that days and dates of major historic events but how many of us think about how this fashioned the lives of people who were living through these dynamic times. What did the changing history of a nation mean to them, how did it effect them as people, their thinking, their relationships and the way they viewed whatever came later…these are questions and aspects that I have been trying to deal with through my writing,’’ said the writer who is already working on his third novel.

“All I can tell you about it is that is a human story woven around an important slice of Indian history,’’ said the writer.