In the background of the Jayantharam in Malayalam cinema in the late 70s, when he rode bell bottom pansit and rode a Javabike without any haste, the novel titled Jayante Ayanthajeewetham, written by SR Lal and published by Mathrubhumi Books, is a depiction of rural life. An ardent admirer of Jayan, who has a big secret to tell only to Jayan, and many other unprecedented characters come into the story in various ways and create a wonderful world full of nostalgia. Also, the mysterious movements of the revolutionaries who are hiding in hiding places with wall posters and flour paste instead of weapons to fight the emergency situation gives a new political dimension to the story. A part of a previous work can be read together with fact, fiction and fantasy.
GauTama, we have returned victorious. This July 17th. See the news in the newspaper.
Rumors of Jayetan’s return have been doing the rounds for some time now. I heard the same here two months ago. The People’s Press was the source of news related to Jayan.
Kollam Babu and his team had gone to America to present the Katha Prasang. It has been a while since the story started. A man entered the back row. Sitting in an empty corner. A well-built man. I met somewhere. Watching the story with attention. Hand beats the song. The story is over. A member of the group meanwhile came backstage. He was suspicious. Agathan was about to go by car. The gang member approached him. Stunned.
Aren’t you a winner?
How did you understand? He turned back.
No matter what role Jayetan comes in, no matter what change he makes, he will be caught. Jayetan’s every move is in our mind.
Jayan was in disguise.
But now back home?
Let it be a few more days. Can’t say now that he will come back. Don’t tell anyone you saw me.
Did he try to kill Jayetan on purpose?
Jayan did not give a definite answer to that. Storytelling was over. People started coming out. Jayan drove off quickly.
Mohanayannan described the incident as if he had seen it.
I told Manoj the news warmly.
Hey, Jayetan’s face is not like this. Something has changed. It just seems so. Even if you say it is not, you will believe it. He saw Jayan’s dead body up close.
A dead person has no relationship with a living person. Those who are alive in the corpse are finding resemblance. Gautama had gone to see the dead bodies. They are unidentified dead bodies. Some are old. Amputations. Just look at Gautama. It is the act that Gautama hates the most. I want to know if it is the father. Father’s form will be hidden from my mind. Gautama will sign the papers. Why does Koda come and cover in the form of father. When he comes out, his father’s figure will appear in front of his eyes. Gautama has not yet received an answer.
Some phone calls are coming to Jayetan’s house like this. Mostly from abroad. Saying Jayetan from there to here. Jayetan’s mother doesn’t answer the phone now, Manoj added.
Do you believe Jayeta is dead?
I don’t know Gautama. Someone loves me. Something is wrong. The doctor who did the post-mortem said that he did not feel like putting a knife on Jayetan’s body. Such a perfect body. Jayathan had to die. If you think about it, Gautama is a darkness.
It was dark in front of Gautama too. He had read three publications in Jayan America, Jayan Is Not Dead and Actor’s Death Secret. They were about the size of an almanac. It sold like hotcakes at Progressive Bookstall. At the time of Jayan’s death, film publications could not be bought and kept. So bought these three first. Jayan is not dead (Venad Books) and actor’s death secret (Film Publications) by John J. It was fresh. It didn’t say who Jayan wrote in America. Published by Sakhi Books. Their price was one rupee.
Gautaman goes home everyday in front of Ambika Talkies. It is dark there. Prasad had switched to lottery trading. He is sometimes seen loitering in front of Ambika Talkies. The rains of June and July are hanging in the sky. Prasad was worried that if Ola did not graze, the talkies would leak. Talkies are rumored to be revamped. I got it from my cousin. It is Adikesavan who is leading it. He has got this place. The name of the talkies is not changed. Gautama envisioned something better like coffee plantation talkies.
Mohanayannan held out the page of the newspaper in front of him. Jayan is not dead, he is alive in America, was the headline of the news. It is said in the news: Three lakhs of rupees were paid to the doctor to kill Jayan, who was in the hospital after a helicopter accident. The amount was given by the leading actor. He was a fan of Doctor Jayan. Using his influence, Dr. Jain was smuggled into America. A dead body in the morgue was given instead. Before that, plastic surgery was done on the dead body to make it resemble Jayan. Jayan, who is undergoing treatment in America, will return to Kerala on July 17, 1981.
Are you all going to receive Jayeta?
Then, Sudarsanayannan held up one of the printed posters. It was prepared to be planted in the city. ‘Welcome to Jayetan’ was printed on it. One printed in red letters.
Shall I come too? Gautama inquired.
Vandil Nera became a man and Gautama.
Gautama was silent. He wants to see Jayetan’s return. Anyway, not as much speculation as I’ve read so far. It is an authentic newspaper article. What a pity that Ambikamma committed suicide. Didn’t they end their lives in grief when Jayetan died? He imagined Jayetan coming and standing at the place where they were buried. He would offer flowers there, a handful of red roses.
Now we have to buy firecrackers and write a banner. Jayetan accompanies us behind us, Mohanan the printer is at the height of excitement. A picture of Jayetan standing with tiger cubs is pasted on the wall of the press. There is a cupboard sitting there. It’s a printer’s closet. And the key to it is in their hands. One of the valuables is in the cupboard. It is Jayathan’s bone fragments and ashes. Sudarshanan the printer has shown it to Gautama. What is the relevance of that?
Don’t throw it away, I will keep it, said Gautama.
Do you have a branch, Gautama, or is it someone else’s? Some Tamil.
Gautama reached out and took the bottle that he was going to throw down the drain. If nothing else, it is a historical memory. Bones and ashes kept as Jaya’s. It was taken after waiting until morning. Mohanayannan was beaten up by the police.
The news also reached the island. Devotees of Jayan performed a special pooja at Panakkachodil temple. Jaynai lit a thousand candles at St. Joseph’s Church. Kuttenchetan and Prasad’s group from the island went to the airport. Ambikamma too would have gone if she had lived.
There was a huge crowd at Thiruvananthapuram Airport. Fans waited impatiently. Unable to control his curiosity, he smoked a beedi or a cigarette. Poonan knocks Taylor to pee constantly. He had quit smoking.
Isn’t that the winner? Mohan asked Sudarshan.
Hearing that question, some people came and looked.
Where, I did not see. Sudarshan frowned. He had left to get his glasses.
Poonan Taylor was holding Jayan’s picture as a placard. An angry standing figure. It was in Angadi movie. Three or four young men from the coffee plantation had joined Poonan Taylor. She had also accompanied Taylor to Mulangataka in Kollam. They were all dressed like Jay. They were all tailor made. His hair was combed like Jay’s. Even the behavior and appearance were like that. The crowd at the airport stared at them. Some hugged and expressed their love. Others shook hands.
Hey boy, you really don’t understand me.
Here no one belongs to anyone, no one has any heart connection with anyone,
The world is my home…
I have never lost to anyone. I will not allow you to boast that I have been defeated- she imitated Jayan’s dialogues. It was Poonan Taylor’s idea. Taylor was thrilled to see people pick up on it.
By evening, the celebrations outside the airport cooled down. The time of the flight that Jayan said would come was already over. I waited for the next flight to no avail. The crowd began to disperse. Everyone’s face was sad and disappointed. Among them were people from Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha. Some had come by train from Kozhikode. No one talked to each other then. Everyone wanted to say something. Mohan and Sudarshan got into the car. He lay down on the back seat with his head bowed. Friends invited them to eat but neither of them joined. Both of them were sweating while working in the press. They left the flower garlands they were carrying on the way. The fireworks were carried away by the waves of the conch shell. July rain was falling all along the way.
Unsure of Jay’s unlikely return, Appanzar mentioned an actor named James Dean in the next class. The actor died in a car accident. Since then, fans have been sending letters to his address for ten years. Appansar was talking about the psychology of fans that day. Karkatakamaja came into the class through the window.
Content Highlights: SR Lal, Actor Jayan, Jayante Ajnathajeevitham
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