The year was 2008. The Kerala State Chalachitra Academy’s ‘Touring Talkies,’ its now popular travelling film festival, was in its initial days. A screening was being organised in an interior village in Kasaragod. The large makeshift screen, made out of cloth, and the projectors were ready. The academy’s programme organisers were wondering whether a sizeable enough crowd will gather.
By evening, when the show began, a large crowd had gathered. One of the persons who ensured that the screening was a success was Ravikumar, the academy’s driver, who passed away on Saturday. As academy officials testify, he was one of the pillars of strength of the Touring Talkies programme, aimed at taking quality cinema to the farthest corners of the State.
He was at the wheel of the tempo traveller, carrying the films from the academy’s archives to be screened in village libraries, schools, colleges, film societies and in street corners. But, his work did not end with taking the films to these locations. He was involved in constantly co-ordinating with the film societies or the local organisers, setting up the screens and even in campaigning to ensure a crowd.
Staff since 2000
According to Chalachitra Academy secretary Ajoy Chandran, Ravikumar, a resident of Neyyattinkara, had become a staff member at the academy in 2000, soon after it was formed.
“The academy decided to launch Touring Talkies when filmmaker K.R. Mohanan was the chairman. Even before that, Ravi has been involved in organising screenings for the academy in various places. At that time, the academy did not have regional offices. While the academy coordinated Touring Talkies from here, it was executed on the ground by those like Ravi. Over the years, he built a close connect with film societies across the State. He used to criss-cross the State with films throughout the year and would be at the IFFK by December to be part of its organising work. We used to joke that he would stand with a knowing smile while watching film appreciation camps from the sidelines, having spent all his life amid cinema,” says Mr. Chandran.