Lal Jose and his "classmates "

Classmates was a small Onam release, competing with films starring Mohanlal, Mammootty, Suresh Gopi and Dileep.

Surprisingly, while Mammootty and Gopi's films bombed, and Mohanlal's film did just average business, the 'small' film created history at the box office. Released with no fanfare, the film's success came through word of mouth raves.

Director Lal Jose began his career with Meesa Madhavan, a hit comedy on the lines of Laurel and Hardy. After the not-so-successful Pattalam with Mammootty came the daring Chanthupottu, about a cross-dresser. And the subsequent Achanurangatha Veedu is widely rated as one of the best films of 2005.

Jose spoke to Shobha Warrier about Classmates, nostalgia and Achanurangatha Veedu. Here are some excerpts:

What was the inspiration behind making a film on college life? Were you just nostalgic?

The truth is that I wanted my first film to be about my college life, and this is the first idea that came to my mind.

Then why did it take so long for you to make this film?

I only had the milieu and a few characters in my mind, not a proper story to string those characters together. When I got a proper story, I decided to make it into a film.

Does that mean Classmates is autobiographical?

Yes, you can say so. But I'd say everyone who has gone to college in Kerala might feel it was their story because all of them might have experienced something like this when they were in college. There'd be a KSU (Kerala Students Union) leader, there'd be an Arts Club Secretary, there'd be singers, and there'd be beautiful girls who admired some of the boys...

Which character in the film do you identify yourself with?

Sukumaran, the character played by Prithviraj, has lots of my traits. He is also as old as me. On the other hand, I wanted to be Murali, played by Narain -- I wanted to be a singer but as a student, was a guitarist. My best friend Dinesh was a singer and guitarist, and won lots of prizes. And had lots of girls as admirers. I have seen girls looking at him admiringly when he sang playing the guitar, and they used to ignore me.

You felt jealous?

Extremely jealous! Though I called him Murali in the film, he is actually my best friend Dinesh. Almost all the characters were people known to me when I was in college.

So making the film must have been a really nostalgic trip?

Of course. It was as if I was in my college all those 50 days of shooting. I never got the feeling I was directing a film; I was in fact reliving what I'd experienced years ago.

You said Sukumaran had lots of autobiographical elements. Now, his political leaning was to the left in the film. Did you have a political ideology as a student?

Yes, I was politically quite active. You can say I was also a leftist. I must say here that college life today is totally different. We had the freedom to fight, compete and indulge in naughty things but today especially in the private institutions, students only study; there are no political activities, no fights, only studies. What kind of college life is this? If we had a slice of life in the college campus in those days, it is totally lacking today. Student politics has a major role in teaching us about life and shaping our character. Today, we have institutions to make engineers, doctors and lawyers but not leaders and politicians. All our leaders have come up because we had student politics in the campus.

You don't find today's generation idealistic but if you look back, the generation before yours also might have said the same thing about you. Plainly speaking, isn't this simply the generation gap?

I am of the opinion that with technology, today's generation is losing out on relationships and human bonding. A college student asked me whether I remembered the names of my classmates even after 15 years. I told her I remembered not only the names of my classmates but their parents and in what profession their parents were. But she admitted she wouldn't be able to remember even three names. This is the difference between those from my generation and today's generation, but I don't blame the kids; it's not their fault.

How did the youngsters of today react to Classmates?

Many told me they were jealous of my generation. They felt they were missing out on many things in life. I was the students' wing leader of a political party while in college, and if there was a contentious issue to be dealt with -- like if they were going to fell a tree in the campus -- I would barge into the principal's room and fight with him. But today's kids do not have that courage to do so. How many private colleges give students the freedom?

When you were making the film, did you think it would be such a big success?

The only hope I had was the belief that everybody has memories. If I could softly awaken the memories of a bygone generation, I knew I would win. I knew I was taking a risk, and I was not sure whether I could make many people nostalgic.

Plus, my film didn't have any stars in it. I also knew there were only two eventualities: it would either be a wash-out or a big hit. I was sure about one thing; if somebody liked it, he might see it again. I told the producer this.

Many people told me I should make the film at a faster pace; there should not be any pauses or silences in the film, as today's generation does not have the patience for slow films. I chose to defy all those beliefs. There were many, many moments of silence and pauses in my film. In the second half, I made my characters tell the story to the audience, and again many people told me that the audience would not have the patience to listen to such long monologues.

Who do you think are the repeat viewers of the film?

The film is liked by a 17-year-old and also a 60-year-old who still has a 17-year- old inside him. It is not news if a youngster watches a film many times, but many 50-60 year olds have watched the film again and again. Classmates has kindled memories that were lying dormant in them. That is the success of the film. Everyone could identify with my characters.

'We had the freedom to fight'

October 10, 2006
Each of your films is different. Have you been consciously looking for different subjects?

Yes, I consciously look for subjects that are different. Unless I have something new to say, what is the point in making a film? The same subjects do not excite me.

Of all the films you have made so far, which was the most risky subject? Was it Chanthupottu?

Yes, it was Chanthupottu. I first saw (the character) Radhakrishnan in a play and I liked him immensely. I liked the goodness in him, and the backdrop against which it was happening, the sea. I have always been passionate about the sea. Chemmeen was shot at my mother's place and I used to hear those stories even as a child. From then on, it was my dream to make a film with the sea as the backdrop.

I knew it was a risky proposition because people looked at characters like Radhakrishnan with aversion and hatred. To make people like such a character was a big task.

I would like to call Achanurangatha Veedu offbeat...

I would call it personal cinema. My other films were made with the intention of succeeding at the box office but Achanurangatha Veedu (left) was made without any compromises. It is the kind of cinema I believe in. You can also hear my voice of protest in it. Yes, I wanted people to see the film and appreciate it but I made the film the way I wanted to.

I felt it was my responsibility as a filmmaker to highlight certain issues that plague our society today.

But since people didn't go in large numbers to see the film, the message might not have reached them, right?

Many did not see the film when it was in theatres and that disappointed me. But when it was released as a CD, it was a big success, and I am happy that what I wanted to say has reached the people.