Sharjah: It’s a given that Dan Brown, whose books have sold over 200 million copies, would receive a reception befitting a rockstar at the Sharjah International Book Fair, but who would think that a one-book-author would whip up a fan frenzy rivalling this American novelist?
On Thursday evening, right after Brown’s session, hundreds of ecstatic Keralites thronged Sharjah Expo Centre to catch a glimpse of their matinee idol Manju Warrier. The security at the door had to exercise stern crowd control measures to regulate the sea of people rushing into the ballroom. It was chaotic, but nobody seemed to mind as an entry would guarantee being in the same room as an actress who reigned supreme in the 1990s in Malayalam cinema and made a stellar comeback this year with the family drama How Old Are You.
“This is a fair that attracts the world’s most-renowned authors. And to know that a girl who just cleared 10th standard [high school] is standing here on such a prestigious platform is a huge honour,” said Warrier, who launched her book Sallapam in the UAE during the fair. Her memoirs in Malayalam Sallapam is a compilation of her weekly columns chronicling her thoughts on childhood and random life musings that were published in Malayala Manorama.
“I thank everybody who’s behind this big moment. After my 10th standard, my life took me into the world of cinema but I never severed my ties with my love for reading,” said Warrier in Malayalam, adding that she’s no great writer. No other Malayali actress has captured the collective imagination of a movie-goer than Warrier. In the mid 1990s, she was on top of her game with hits such as the romantic drama Sallapam, the gritty rural film Kanmadam and revenge saga Kannezhuthi Pottum Thottu. Roles were written for specifically for her, but she took a 14-year-break from movies after her marriage to her now-estranged actor-husband Dileep. The couple filed for mutual consent divorce petition in July this year and Warrier is now focusing on reviving her artistic ambitions.
However, the focus at the Sharjah International book fair wasn’t on her personal life but was an exercise to get acquainted with the artist. In a candid chat after the book launch, Warrier answered questions about life (“a series of coincidences”), her career (“fortunate at being at the right place at the right time”) and her next film with Mohanlal (“a role with a strong-identity”).
“I don’t plan my roles or my films. My life is studded with a series of coincidences. How Old Are You was supposed to be second film after my comeback, but due to several reasons it became my first. It’s all purely co-incidental and in my life unexpected twists have always followed. And when I look back at my comeback film, I realise that perhaps that was my fate or destiny and I am glad that it worked out all fine,” said Warrier. How Old Are You was a money-spinner at the box office and her role as an ordinary housewife Nirupama Rajeev who sacrifices her dreams for the sake of her family found resonance among many women in Kerala. In a flash, she once again became the darling of Malayalam cinema and was catapulted as a symbol of an empowered woman.
“I never expected such a tremendous reaction, but I feel blessed that in my humble way I taught some women that it’s good to dream again,” said Warrier. The evening also proved to be a double delight for Malayali movie fans. Actor Kunchacko Boban, who played Warrier’s chauvinistic and unsupportive husband in How Old Are You, also made a fleeting appearance at her book launch.
“Her thoughts have been translated in this book. May her words be more powerful than the sound that emerge and I hope her thoughts leave a lasting impression on your hearts and minds,” said Boban.
