An appeal by a group of friends to support screenwriter John Paul, who is now under medical treatment, has received good response. Both members of the public and the film fraternity have reacted positively to the appeal, they said.
They informed that the doctors treating him were optimistic that his condition would improve soon. He is now in the intensive care unit of a hospital in Kochi.
Mr. Paul has been involved in around 100 films, and he gained reputation as a screen writer in the ‘80s and early ‘90s when films like Chamaram, Vidaparayummunbe, and Randam Varavu and dozens of others turned into popular hits. He has worked with almost the entire range of directors and actors in Malayalam.
Of late, he has been active in various fields, including participation in cultural sessions in Kochi, where he has lived and worked for around six decades now.
Goa Governor P.S. Sreedharan Pillai visited Mr. Paul at the hospital on Thursday. He said the screenwriter’s contributions to Malayalam cinema were unforgettable, and that he was an encyclopaedia on films. Mr. Pillai appealed to the State government and the public to support Mr. Paul in this hour of need and promised to help him in his own way.
One of Mr. Paul’s friends said his family was not financially sound, and the medical expenses had turned out to be a big burden. The appeal for financial support was made through friends on social media. The response has been good and positive, he added.
It is learnt that Mr. Paul will be advised rest for at least two months after discharge from the hospital.