15 Jun 1971 was a sad day for Malayalam cinema because it was on that day, exactly 50 years ago, we lost a great actor in Sathyan, who succumbed to the dreaded cancer. He was 58 years old. He had driven to the hospital after the day's schedule of shooting of a Malayalam movie and had handed himself over to his doctor. Soon after, he had slipped into unconsciousness and began his long trudge to Valhalla, soon after.
He'd joined the Army during the II World War and had seen action in Burma after which he joined the state police and was an SI at the Alappuzha Police Station during the Punnapra Vayalar uprising. It was from there that he had begun to act, after shedding his uniform.
His body was brought to Thiruvananthapuram and was laid to rest with full state honours at the cemetery of the LMS Church at the Museum Junction. I, who had just passed into class XI, was on leave from the Sainik School, Kazhakoottam for the summer holidays. Being an ardent fan of the great actor, I remember being very sad and was also part of the sea of people who had followed him on his final journey. Getting into the cemetery of the church was well nigh impossible and neither did I attempt it. I remember my tears were flowing freely while the guys who were accompanying me were enjoying the sight of the reigning actors and the actresses of the time, who were transported in an open truck!
I must admit that my love for the actor began as a kid. In the early '60s, my parents, uncles and aunts regularly went for movies and returned to discuss the nitty gritties of the film that they had just viewed. Sathyan was popular and liked by each and everyone of them. I suppose my affinity towards him began from those days. Must let you into this story :-
If my memory serves me right, it was in '62 that the movie "Bhaarya", starring Sathyan and Ragini in the lead, was running to packed houses. Based on a real life story that had taken place sometime in the immediate past, it told the tale of a school teacher who strayed from his marriage and fell in love with a bewitching colleague of his. The extra-marital relationship sadly ended up with Benny (Sathyan's character in the movie) shooting his wife dead!
It had shaken the Malayalam cine going audience to such an extent that people saw the movie many a time and the producer was happy that the cash registers were ringing, fetching him huge returns. Sathyan and Ragini were said to be 'living their roles' as the loving husband and wife, so much so, that the audience was very, very angry with the 'other woman', who was the reason for the break up of the family! Incidentally, the evergreen and iconic duet - "Periyaare, Periyaare, parvatha nirayude panineere, kulirum kondu kunungi nadakkum Malayali pennaanu nee, oru Malayali pennaanu nee....." - picturised on Sathyan, Ragini and their children, on a boat, in the backwaters - went on to be a smash hit!
I was, incidentally, not taken for the movie because my elders thought that the movie would corrupt (?) my young mind. Later, while I was studying in class IV at the Holy Angels' Convent, Thiruvananthapuram, came the Sathyan-Ambika starrer "Aadyakiranangal" whose story was described to me with the background noises along with the conversations - to the minutest details - by my classmate and close friend, Sydney Stephen from Pettah!
Sidney, where art thou? I still miss you, my friend!!
He'd joined the St Joseph's School near the Convent, while I ended up at the Model High School in class V. My little uncle, Krishna Kumar and I used to walk up and down the 3 km to the school and I used to tear off all the film posters of non-Sathyan films, that I came across during the trek. Looking back at it now, I'm sure the guys who'd painstakingly pasted those posters on the walls would have boxed my ears, given me a thorough spanking and taken me to task for my 'destructive work', if they'd ever come across me then!
And when I'd joined Sainik School in '67, whenever I returned home on holidays, my grandmother - Mrs PN Panicker - and I used to go for watching the matinee shows of the films that I'd missed. She, too, was an avid Sathyan-fan like me! I can go on and on about my craze for Sathyan and the movies that he had made memorable with his effortless acting, personality and grace.
There's also this story about his brutal honesty and the manner in which he stood by his principles. During his career in the Kerala State Police, he had dealt with the communists rather strictly as directed by the then government. Years later, when a production team approached him to act as a communist in a film, he declined the offer saying that his conscience didn't permit it!
Still miss you, Sathyan maashe! No one has replaced you because no one can!! Prem Nazir, Madhu, Raghavan, Sukumaran, Soman, Mammootty and Mohanlal have followed/been following you in the Malayalam film world. I watch the latest crop of actors to keep up with the current trends but deep within me, I still miss you.
My take.
Will endeavour to watch all of Sathyan's movies over the coming months, time permitting @ one movie a day!
Tailpiece.
Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by a half past 9. It was a wet day to begin with.
Fruits were delivered by Babu, the auto rick driver, on order.
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