Back in 1980, when the coinage 'new generation' associated with Malayalam cinema was still decades away, a young screenwriter wrote a script that would go on to create ripples in the industry. Chamaram, which revolved around the forbidden love between a college student and a lecturer, announced the arrival of John Paul, whose scripts formed the backbone of middle cinema that navigated the boundary-less land between independent cinema and commercial cinema.
It was also the beginning of a long association with filmmaker Bharathan, for whom Paul wrote 14 of his 60 scripts. In those initial years, he wrote prolifically, at times churning out even 19 scripts a year.
However, these were not attempts at riding a wave and creating more of the same for commercial success. Most of his scripts were explorations into the complexity of relationships and the inherent frailties of the human mind. He wrote the kind of scripts that would be called "bold" even by today's standards, be it Kathodu Kathoram, which showed how society targets a married woman for finding solace in a man other than her cruel, abusive husband or Rachana that had a writer making his wife feign love for her colleague in whom he has seen a character for his next work.
In Yathra, though the subtext was the brutality and unjustness of the police machinery, which is quick to frame an innocent man, the script also paints a moving story of the woman waiting for him when he returns from jail, many years later. Old age, loneliness and the craving for companionship became the themes in Oru Minnaminunginte Nurunguvettam.
Born in Ernakulam in 1950, John Paul was the fourth of five children. A post-graduate in Economics, he had for some time worked in Canara Bank. But, after his initial successes in cinema, he was confident enough in his writing to leave his comfortable job at the bank. Other than Bharathan, he had worked with most of the big names in the industry at that point, from K.S. Sethumadhavan to Mohan, I.V. Sasi, P.G. Viswambharan, Sathyan Anthikkad, Balu Mahendra and Kamal.
A storyteller
“Unlike the big screenwriters of that time, John Paul was not someone who had written a story or literary work before coming to cinema. He used to call himself a ‘storyteller’, not a writer. He had the brilliant ability to narrate a story visually. Days later, he would reproduce the same on paper. He had a great memory which aided him in ensuring continuity of characters and places. He did play a role in my becoming a filmmaker, writing the script for Mizhineerppoovukal and recommending me to the producer,” says filmmaker Kamal.
Some of Paul’s other memorable scripts include Unnikale Oru Kadha Parayam, Chamayam, Malootty, Adhyayam Onnu Muthal, Ulsavapittennu, Vida Parayum Munpe, Vrutham, Aksharam and Revathikkoru Pavakkutty. His last script was for Kamal's Pranaya Meenukalude Kadal in 2019.
Though his pace of screenwriting had slowed down by the mid-1990s, cinema remained a part of his life all through. He revealed his talents as an organiser, as the founding Secretary of the Malayalam Cine Technicians Association (MACTA). He continued to share his knowledge of the cinematic medium in the many talks and classes he gave, as well as the books he wrote. The books on Bharathan and M.T. Vasudevan Nair were much appreciated and fetched him awards.
In 2000, he also donned the role of the producer for M.T. Vasudevan Nair's Oru Cherupunchiri.
The crass commercialisation that plagued Malayalam cinema had pained him in later years, with him making clear his displeasure in strong words. Yet, he was also ready with lavish praise for young filmmakers or scriptwriters who excited him. He leaves behind a legacy that is good as a cinematic textbook for those daring to tread the path less trodden.
