Life's Truths and Humour

A few months back a random browsing through Google brought to my notice a book written by Malayalam film actor Mukesh titled "Mukesh Kathakal - Jeevithathile Nerum Narmavum". Primarily based on his memoirs of his college life at S.N.College, Kollam , it was released at a function held at S.N.College where the State Minister M.A.Baby (also an alumni of S.N. College) was the Chief Guest. The sales of the book following its release were according to Mukesh "Unexpectedly high". Curious to know as to what made many read the book, I ordered for a copy. The book is published by Olive Publications.


The book is written in a very lucid manner with the incidents being narrated with a tinge of mischief at times and often interlaced with humour. When Mukesh writes we get to know his character which when it comes to oneself many would like to feel good about but few would like to reveal. Mukesh displays no airs of being an established cine artiste and recounts his former days with no qualms on what the readers would perceive of him. Perhaps this is the very reason why many readers, including me, enjoyed this book right to the very end.

The book takes off, as i said earlier, with many incidents from Mukesh's student stint at S.N.College. Probably people who have studied at Govt. colleges in Kerala would be able to identify more with the characters and incidents mentioned in these chapters. The incidents are narrated in a very natural manner with the "Kollam accent" being distinct in most dialogues.

Though i am tempted to narrate many of the incidents mentioned in the book, I am stopping myself from doing that since i feel that reading the book is the best way to enjoy these. The incidents involving the character "Annamma" are described in such a straightforward manner so much so that we feel that the reader is currently a college student. The incidents involving the Botany teacher and the Principal are also those which i found to be very humorous and life-like in reading. We would sometimes be tempted to feel that the "Poovalan" characters of Mukesh we saw in films like "In Harihar Nagar" and to an extent in "GodFather" are the real Mukesh itself and not an actor.

Apart from his life at S.N.College the author has also described certain humorus moments with his friends in the cine field like Jayaram, Mammootty, Sreenivasan, the Late Ratheesh etc. The one incident i really enjoyed reading was his experience with director Priyadarshan when shooting for the Srenivasan scripted film "Odaruthe Ammava Aalariyam". It depicted the quintessential street-smart and quick thinking side of Mukesh's character.
As i finished reading the book I felt that the book is much more than just a mere recollection of some humorous events from the author's life. It is a statement to one and all that life is not all about the mad rush for money and status. It is such moments that one can really treasure and remember about for a life time.

I feel Mukesh silently shows us that even now there is a child in every one of us. That should never be shelved away by us. One passage what i liked was when Mukesh described a scene when he and his wife Sarita where starting to travel somewhere by car. At that moment he saw a girl from his college days walking by that same place and at once he called here by her college nickname and made some comment or the sake of fun. At that moment Mukesh says Sarita chided him by saying "Nanamillallo manushya. ee vayasilum comment adikkan." But Mukesh tells us readers "Ee vayasilum enikku oorjassum unmeshavum tharunnathu ee comment adi thanne..".. :-)


Oru pakshe Mukeshettan parayunnathu pole ithokkeyalle suhurthukkale jevithathile nerum narmavum.


P.S: I recommend this book to any person who has enjoyed the films in which Mukesh has acted or any person who loves to experience a little humour in life.