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Revisiting Onam

Several Dubai-based talents, who have made a mark in the Malayalam film industry, share fond memories of Onam with Deepa Gauri

A fan’s tribute

This Onam is extremely special for Vijay Babu, the actor-producer of movies including Peruchazhi (the Mohanlal-starrer currently playing at theatres in the UAE) and Monkey Pen.

“While Onam invariably means getting together with the extended family at home, it also had another appeal. Onam was when we got the most number of new film releases. Some of the most-loved classics of Mammootty and Mohanlal have released during Onam, and I would be there at the theatres first-day-first-show,” recalls Vijay.

This year, as fate would have it, he is bringing to Kerala’s film lovers a celebration of Mohanlal with Peruchazhi. “In a way, it is saying thank you to Lal for entertaining us all these years, and thus, bringing a film that picturises Lal the way we all love to watch him onscreen.”

Vijay Babu, producer, actor

Double delight

For Dr. Iqbal Kuttippuram, who is savouring the sweet success of his newest film Vikramadityan, Onam is a reason for double delight: The Thiruvonam day is also the birthday of his mother.

The Dubai-based homeopathic practitioner, who has brought to Malayalam cinema a new sensibility in narrating stories of expatriate Indians, therefore tries, as much as possible, to be with his parents for Onam day.

In his memories, Onam would mean a bountiful fresh harvest brought as gifts by several people in Kuttippuram, his hometown. These gifts are their way of saying thank you to Dr. Iqbal’s father, who is also a homeopathic practitioner and continues to attend to people even at 88 years of age.

“Every Onam, we had enough of fresh plantain and other harvests of the soil that were good enough for many months. We used to pack a part of these for our uncles and aunts who lived in the Gulf,” says Dr. Iqbal.

While such practices are on the decline now, more so because farming in Kerala too is on the wane, Dr. Iqbal says the spirit of solidarity that Onam underlines is what defines the festival.

For him, Onam also meant a trip on the local train to Calicut to watch the newest film releases. Of course, with time, all these have become memories, but Dr. Iqbal says that despite living in Dubai, he has never missed an Onam feast. More so because in the UAE, Onam means year-long festivities as various gatherings are hosted almost every Friday to celebrate Onam.

Dr. Iqbal Kuttippuram, scriptwriter

A lipsmacking feast

Joy Mathew, undoubtedly, is one of the most happening names in Malayalam cinema today. Debuting as an actor some 25 years back in the seminal film Amma Ariyaan, he lived in the UAE for a few years before directing Shutter, which went on to became a sensational and critically acclaimed hit. Since then, he has made his mark as an actor – and what an actor, indeed!

From terrifying villains to loveable character roles, Joy has become an indispensable part of the industry. Onam, for Joy, means a lipsmacking feast that he used to relish at his mother’s house near Palakkadu. He recalls with vivid details the tremendous rush in the coal-powered passenger trains of yesteryears.

“My dad would lift me into the compartment through the windows, which didn’t have sills like today. I would land on somebody’s lap and there I would sit through the rest of the journey,” he says with a chuckle.

At his mom’s home, Onam became a true celebration as all cousins and extended family members came together. “The speciality for Onam was this dessert of steamed plantains, pappadam, ghee and sugar. That was one heady combination, which makes you tipsy.”

Living in Dubai, he skipped Onam feast in the very first year. “I had gone to have the Onam feast at one of those events organised by an association. The queue seemed miles long. I walked away and had a sandwich from the nearby cafeteria – that was my first Onam in the UAE,” says Joy.

But then, last year, he had none other than Mammootty tutoring him on how to savour the Onasadya. “I don’t really like to have the payasam with my hands – but Mammootty (with whom I was shooting for Silence) taught me the art of it.”

This year, Joy will be at home for Onam with his mother and sisters – “all of them fantastic cooks.” He will be joining the family from the sets of Laila Oh Laila, in which he stars with Mohanlal.

Joy Mathew, actor, writer and director

Looking ahead with hope

Kris Iyer sees Onam from a very interesting perspective. He is not one to talk about Onam’s nostalgia. For him, the Utopian, egalitarian concept of Onam is all about “hope and the future.”

“We are in fact reinforcing, every year during Onam, not our past but the ideal future that we want. And that, I believe, is the true significance of Onam,” says Kris. For many years, Kris had been confined to studios doing Onam shows as a radio presenter and producer. This year, as an independent consultant, he is savouring that extra freedom.

He also sees Onam as a festival that connects one with nature. “There are immense medicinal properties in having an Onam feast on a freshly cut plantain leaf. The hot rice on the leaf brings out the wellness value the leaves give to the human body. So, while we may not realise it, the traditions set for Onam by our forefathers are indeed farsighted.”

This year’s Onam is even more special for Kris because his newest film, Munnariyippu, starring Mammootty continues to play to packed houses in Kerala, and has been received well by critics.

Kris Iyer, actor

All about togetherness

As Divisional Head of Al Naboodah Lighting, Arun Nair does a delicate act of balancing his career and his passion – acting. Arun has already played notable roles in Diamond Necklace and Oru Indian Pranayakatha.

For him, Onam is the tale of three locations and three experiences. “First is my father’s home in Calicut, where today, Onam means going to Palayam market, buying the flowers brought from Tamil Nadu, and returning home for a feast with the extended family.”

The second, however, is close to his heart – and that is the Onam celebrated at his mother’s house in Pattambi. “That is fun; I remember, as a young boy, going out early in the morning to gather the thumba flowers. It is a race to get those flowers because even after scouting for long, all you get is perhaps a handful. But this handful of white flowers makes all the difference for the floral decoration. The challenge is to get the flowers by 7am.” He recalls traditional customs including an olakuda (umbrella made of thatched leaves), which were part of Onam.

His third Onam memory is from Dubai, where he has been living for over 15 years. “Here, of course, we cannot hope for the same as in Kerala – but I think we make up by celebrating with friends,” he says. “After all, isn’t Onam all about the joy of being together?”

Arun Nair, actor