Prison inmate becomes a film actor
The harsh reality and the bitter experiences of real life will soon give way to the glitz and glamour of the reel life for Geevarghese , an inmate of Central Prison, Poojappura. This 62 year old ex-serviceman hailing from Pathanamthitta, Kerala was convicted in a murder case seven years ago, which brought him to the prison. Though he regrets the crime that he did in a fit of rage, he accepts the verdict whole heartedly as he believes that there can’t be justification for any crime.
Now a reformed and contented person, Geevarghese is all set to make an entry into the film world soon. He nurtured his passion for reading and acting during his free time in the prison, which has paid off handsomely by earning him a wonderful break in his life. K M Madhu offered him a role in his movie after seeing the performance of Geevarghese in a television show of prison inmates. With adequate support from the prison authorities, Geevarghese is hoping to grab the limelight soon. The Prisons ADGP Alexander Jacob has given his assurance to do everything possible to help Geevarghese fulfill his dream of being an actor.
Nonetheless, this is not going to be the maiden venture by any prisoner because an inmate of the Central Prison has already made an appearance in the much acclaimed movie ‘Mathilukal’based on the novel of Vaikom Muhammed Basheer of the same name. The tryst with film celebrities is not something new for the jail inmates. Rajesh who was a child actor in the famous film Meesamadhavan is also serving a life sentence here in what could be termed as a twist of fate.
It is interesting to note that recently Poojapura Jail inmates also got a rare chance to be part of an audio launch of No.66 Madurai Bus, a Tamil movie produced under the banner of M’wood movies. The director of M A Nishad chose this rather unconventional venue for the audio launch and the crowd comprising mostly of the prison inmates could not have asked for more. The presence of the Tamil actor Pasupathy and actress Mallika made the function extra special for the inmates. The actor struck a chord with the inmates by making an empathetic speech in which he dedicated the movie to all the inmates’ families, who he said might be facing more isolation from society for no fault of theirs.
Thus, if the innovative movie project starring Geevarghese gets underway it will be yet another novel chapter in the history of Poojapura prison and its inmates, who have always been in news for many innovative initiatives. From flori culture to chapathi making and poultry farming, they have excelled in many novel ventures and film acting could well be the newest feather in their caps.