Sometimes, you share a deep connection with characters that you create. The central character of my book, Gama in Gamacharitham, came to me, while writing a funny short story in Malayalam called Anna kothukalude karaoke. It means the karaoke music of elephant mosquitos. I Suddenly realized that Gama was not the character that can be contained within a short story. He needed a bigger platform to express himself. This is how it started writing Gamacharitham, my first Malayalam novels.
Gama is funny, philosophical, singer and a poet. He leads a detached life, yet he remains deeply engaged with everybody in the village. While his perception of life is highly practical there is hilarious binge to the way he lives. The novel’s dark humour makes you smile but it simultaneously reveal pathetic and miserable life the characters lead. The story serves as a reminder that a plant does not become healthy based on the quality of its seed alone; a seed requires fertile soil and a supportive environment to find proper nourishment. As a child, Gama is highly intelligent, but the novel reminds us that we are ultimately all puppets of unknown forces.
In my life, I met many people with the qualities of Gama, but failed to spot an exact replica of Gama. Gama reminds me of water, which always finds its own way through obstacles. Sometimes, we fail to understand the very people around us who influence us and become a part of our lives. Gama is the secret keeper for the rich people in the village, yet they completely fail to understand him. In another way, Gama remains far too mysterious for them to ever truly comprehend.