ONE VEIN IN ME IS STILL ALIVE: Translating K.Satchidanandan

Shri. K. SATCHIDANANDAN, the renowned poet, critic, editor and playwright who writes in Malayalam as well as English has been one of my favourite poets in Malayalam. He has exposed Malayalam readers to writers from various parts of the world and his own writings have been translated into 17 languages including Tamil, Hindi, Bengali, English, Arabic, French, German and Italian.

http://satchida.blogspot.in/

Ever since I heard and read a Ghazal written by him in Malayalam, I have been captured by its philosophical profundity, apparent simplicity and incredible sensitivity. Of late, I have made an attempt to translate that song into English which I am posting here with his permission. I consider it a great honour to receive a mail from him saying, "It is a faithful version". I am very happy that he has shared a few things about the days of writing the song.

Thank you, Sir.   

14.12.2012

Dear Santhosh Kumar,

I have seen your English version of my song, "Oru njarambippolum pacha". It is a faithful version. It was one of the many songs- you can also call them free ghazals- I wrote when I was recovering from a gall bladder surgery. Those songs just came to me, to my great embarrassment, as I had never written songs before. At first I was shy, but then decided to write them down. This is a song of hope, a hope I uphold amidst all my despair even now. I wrote fifty ghazals which were later published as a small book by Haritham Publications, Kozhikode. Many of them, including this song, were composed and sung by the ghazal singer, Umbayee, of Kochi and he has an album exclusively of my songs; later the song was also used in a film. Thanks.

Warmly yours,

Satchida 

Here is my translation:

ONE VEIN IN ME IS STILL ALIVE, SAID A LEAF TO THE BRANCH

ONE LEAF STILL CLINGS TO THE TREE, SAID THE BRANCH TO THE BLOWING WIND

ONE BRANCH STILL STAYS UNSHAKEN, SAID A TREE TO THE BIRD

ONE TREE IS STILL UNFELLED IN A CORNER, SAID A FOREST TO THE EARTH

ONE FOREST IS STILL GREEN, SAID A HILL TO ITS GLOWING SUN

ONE SUN IS STILL AGLOW, I SAID TO THE SPREADING DARKNESS.

Here is the song in Malayalam transliterated by me for the convenience of variety of readers:

ORU NJARAMBIPPOLUM PACHAYAAYUNDENNU ORILA THANTE CHILLAYODOTHI

KOZHIYATHE ORILA IPPOLUM BAAKIYENNORU CHILLA KAATINODOTHI

ORU CHILLA KAATIL KULUNGATHE NILPUNDENNORU MARAM PAKSHIYODOTHI

ORU MARAM VETTATHE ORU KONIL KAANUMENNORU KAADU BHOOMIYODOTHI

ORU KAADU BHOOMIYIL BAAKIYUNDENNORU MALA SWANTHAM SOORYANODOTHI

ORU SOORYANINIYUM KEDATHEYUNDENNU NJAN PADARUNNA RAATHRIYODOTHI

ഒരു ഞരമ്പിപ്പോഴും പച്ചയായുണ്ടെന്ന്
ഒരു ഇലതന്റെ ചില്ലയോടോതി
ഇലയൊന്നു പൊഴിയാതെ ഇപ്പോഴും
ബാക്കിയുണ്ടെന്നൊരു ചില്ല കാറ്റിനോടോതി
ഒരു ചില്ല കാറ്റില്‍ കുലങ്ങാതെ നില്‍പ്പു-
ണ്ടെന്നൊരുമരം പക്ഷിയോടോതി
ഒരുമരം വെട്ടാതെ ഒരു കോണില്‍
കാണുമെന്നൊരു കാട് ഭൂമിയോടോതി
ഒരു കാടു ഭൂമിയില്‍ ബാക്കിയുണ്ടെന്നൊരു
മല സ്വന്തം സൂര്യനോടോതി
ഒരു സൂര്യനിനിയും കെടാതെയുണ്ടെന്നു ഞാന്‍
പടരുന്ന രാത്രിയോടോതി

You can listen to the song here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7jJ0QNGf30



                                                               -by Santhosh Kumar Kana

KYON

ITNE ZAKHMON KE BAAD BHI

EK ANGH ABHI BHI NAAZUK HAI KYON?

ITNE BERANG HOKE BHI

KAHIN EK RANG ABHI BHI MITA NA KYON?

ITNE DIYE BUJHNE KE BAAD BHI

YE ANDHERA ABHI BHI POORA NA KYON?

ITNE FAASLE PAAR KAR KE BHI

MANZIL KA BHAROSA KAMZOR HAI KYON?

ITNE PAL-E-JASHN BITANE KE BAAD BHI

KUCH YAAD-E-GHAM BAAKI HAI KYON?

ITNE MANAANE KE BAAD BHI

USKI BAATON KA ASAR KUM HAI KYON?

KUCH SHAKHS KA YAHI NASEEB HAI

KI SAB KUCH PAAKE BHI LAGTA SAB KUCH AJEEB HAI

                                                                     -by Santhosh Kumar Kana

INDIAN AMBASSADOR TO NEPAL RELEASES CD OF SHORT FILM BY SANTHOSH KUMAR KANA

INDIAN AMBASSADOR TO NEPAL, HIS EXCELLENCY SHRI JAYANT PRASAD released the cd of a short film titled EVANS TRIES AN O-LEVEL directed by Santhosh Kumar Kana at Kathmandu on 29th November,2012 during the 39th Annual Day Celebration of Kendriya Vidyalaya, Embassy of India, Kathmandu.

(in the photo: from left-- Shri Jaideep Mazumdar, Honourable DCM, Embassy of India, Kathmandu & Chairman, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Kathmandu; His Excellency Shri Jayant Prasad, Indian Ambassador to Nepal; Dr. Cicy Roy Mathew, Principal, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Embassy of India, Kathmandu; Mr. Santhosh Kumar Kana, PGT-English, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Embassy of India, Kathmandu)

Watch the movie here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_yVhEU4t-8

THE TERMINAL

 

The most painful moment is the silence,

the void after the waving hand is unseen

The heaviness of a bated breath, the takeoff moment

The choked words in the throat

 

I am like an unclaimed child at this carnival of meeting and parting

I am talked about but my voice is unheard

Left alone I feel the turbulence of a rough weather

The giddiness of an imbalance

You are the wind beneath my wings

 

I am an unidentified baggage on the belt

I don’t see anything, it is all a reel

 

Hold me, hug me, and take me into your womb of security

The paradise I lost.         

 

                                                                                

                                                                            - by Santhosh Kumar Kana

 

(the seed of this thought was sown when i heard an announcement at Terminal 3, New Delhi about a child found unaccompanied. The seed grew later when i felt the pangs of separation at various moments)

 

 

 

Aakashaiko Kaalo Baadal- Journey with a Nepali Folk Song

The day I heard this song I fell for it. One of the most melodious folk songs from the culturally rich Nepal. I searched for the singer, writer and the musician and to my surprise found them all to be one, Sri Tulasi Parajuli. Though I could talk to him over phone, all our plans to meet fell through for various other pressing engagements. And at last on 5^th August, 2012 my dream came true. We met and he sang the same song for me. We had tea together and I relished every moment of togetherness. He transliterated the song for me with an autograph.

 

I am posting it here on my blog for all music lovers and as a small token of my love and adoration for Sri Tulasi Parajuli.

Tulasiji, I would carry your song throughout my life as a precious gift from this beautiful country. Thank you.

Aakashaiko Kaalo Baadal….. Paani Paryo Jhamma Jhamma

Madaluko Taalaima…. Nachou Aaja Chamma Chamma

Maiti Raajai Samjhi Aayou ………Pardosako Maato Samjhera

Ramailo yo Vetaimaa…Nachou Aaja Chamma Chamma

(Aakashaiko..)

Voli Kasle Dekheko Hunchha Marincha ki Bachincha Lai Lai

Samjana nai Mitho Huncha Juni Juni Saachinchha Lai Lai

Yehi Mitho Samjhanale… Dukha peera Sabhai Boolera

Pardesha Bata Samjhi Aaye Afnai Pyaro mato Samjhera

(Akashaiko..)

Birsiyou Ki Maiti Raja Jhaure Ra Maruni Bhaka

Sarangi ko Mitho Dhund Murchunga Ra Bina Yo Baja

Samjhanale Sadhai Tanchha Nepali Man Muhar Hasi lo

Hamilai ta Lagchha ni Lai Lai Afnai Gauko Pani Rasilo

(Akashaiko..)

You can listen to the song here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp77I6-Nifc

                                                          - by Santhosh Kumar Kana

WE WAIT

We are classified

The new arrival, the best seller, the self-help, fiction, non-fiction, travel etc.

We are basically words covered or presented in various forms

You come and peer at us

Kids come excited and some of us are out of the rack in no time

Some of you do nothing but go through us reading our titles

Like a bachelor going through the matrimonials

Some of you ignore most of us and go only to the best sellers

Some of us, the classics, gather dust and you hardly pick us out

We wait, for you, readers

You make the difference.

                                        -by Santhosh Kumar Kana
This poem has been published in the esteemed webjournal, MUSE INDIA (issue 49 May-June 2013):
http://museindia.com/regularcontent.asp?issid=49&id=4219

WHAT ATTRACTED ME AT MUMBAI

-A hypocritical story

It was during a boring seminar at Kanjur Marg that Arundhati madam showed me her anthology of poems that depict an unquenchable thirst amidst the life in Delhi.

Extreme heat.

I could see madam’s AC corolla car waiting out when I walked to the mess for lunch. Her driver opened the door for her.

With two of my colleagues I went out in the evening to Gateway of India and the city. Since I found going by bus would be cheaper I insisted on it. They convinced me on share taxi.

Renovation at the Gateway of India. It was getting dark slowly.

I bargained and bought an ear ring for my wife from a shop near Taj Hotel. Fifty rupees!! When the purse opened its mouth, I could see a yellow five hundred rupees and a white hundred!! Since I was on “roaming”, I had told my wife that I would stick to SMS only and at times a missed call!! Had to roam a lot in search of BSNL Oxygen!

Taj, like a huge tower of light before me! People clad in suit getting in and many leaving in their posh cars! Half clad and with coloured locks, dames enter. What a structure!!!! A touch would suffice. I found it hard to resist the temptation. If at all I could spend a life like this enjoying all the pleasures!!!

 

 

The dim yellow light gave a distant glimpse of the decked walls and tables.

Extreme hunger!!

No book below two hundred on the footpath. SHAME, two hundred and fifty!

No dark skin entered MacDonald’s.

“Don’t you want to buy anything else?” asked Chaudhary sir from Jodhpur.

“No, not now”

Ram sir from Pune and Chaudhary sir bargained for leather bags. Then to an electronic shop. Chaudhary sir wanted Digital voice recorder. What is it? I had the maiden glance at it.

A girl explained the product in the familiar voice of those customer care girls. Same speed.

My hunger grew intense.

For some reason, Chaudhary sir didn’t buy it.

I should have a laptop, home theatre. Rooms with dim yellow lights. AC corolla car, driver opening the door for me….

Speed.

Dozed off in the taxi for a while.

After supper in the mess I returned to my room. Turned off the lights and lay down. Gentle breeze came in as I kept the window open.

Feeling low. Sour grapes! So angry and frustrated! Got up and turned on the lights.

Wrote a short story about plight of the poor roaming around the traffic points and outside MacDonald’s. Titled it as “What attracted me at Mumbai”. After all, those poor folks were the ones who dominated my thoughts all through the evening!!!!! I put the story in an enevelope, wrote the address of a magazine. As soon as I reach home, I would post it. Let people read and learn how honestly I care for the poor!!!

Emptied the last few drops from Aquafina. Lights off.                   
                                                                         –by Santhosh Kumar Kana

SLEEP

 

Sleep, a photographer

Adjusting your position a little, tilting your head a little, “ok, ready!”

Sleep, a dentist

Ahh, open your mouth, show your teeth!!

Sleep

The philanthropist who brings co-travellers closer

A comedian who makes you make all kinds of faces

Sleep

Can be a turning point at a turn on the road

Sleep

Proclaims the ultimate emptiness of all material pursuits

A fitting reply to all the boring lectures and precepts

Liquor that bends a straight sitting person

Sleep

The lap of peace after all the leaps.

                                                                                                 -by Santhosh Kumar Kana

THE STARRY NIGHT OF HIS ROOM

There is no language for the known. The time since I met him at his home in Nileswar, North Kerala, where he welcomed me to his home and heart with his shy smile, we needed no introduction for each other. Though he played an active role in my engagement, he always carried these unassuming shoulders in the events he managed. He had seen the emptiness beyond all luxuries and activities that gave him a spiritual charm. Our conversations, though very few, were never about the mundane and I always loved to be a listener to him. He would talk about his inseparable attachment with his mother he lost in his school days and his dream to have a house of his own. The words would come out only in the gaps between each puff he took from the cigarettes.

 “In those days, we had just one or two thieves in our village and everybody knew him/them. But now things have changed”

he would share his insights on the first floor balcony where we both sat and had beer. During one of those moments we shared he took me to his bedroom and closed the windows, turned off the lights and asked me to look up. I looked at the ceiling and a “Wow” came out of me as I saw a starry sky. We both laughed at the wonder. He smiled like a child who was complimented for a painting he made.

 “This is how I sleep here. I have got this painting done on the ceiling so that when I lie down I can feel the universe though I am confined physically to this room”.

I walked into his room last week and found him there among one of the stars glittering, giving me his ethereal smile!!!

Love you Vijayetan

RIP

By Santhosh Kumar Kana

On My Wall....My facebook graffiti

All said and done, Facebook is a stress buster. Write a thought that eats you, post a pic, share a link you get comments and likes and you feel secure for being taken care of. A time when my blog posts needed an easy way to reach more readers, I found facebook wall an excellent way out. Here I am listing thoughts I have been sharing on my facebook wall. Wall has a great significance in our society. I remember walls in my home town getting renewed with new posts or paintings every festive or electoral season. Some walls had only advertisements and some film posters. Walls have united us for a social event though walls metaphorically have divided us. “Deewaron dar pe naksh banana se kya mila…” by Mehdi Hassan is a favourite of mine. Many private walls carried “stick no bills” and the instruction was something very English to us those days. There were times when some walls were used for anti-social activities or for an anonymous critique of a social injustice. Many walls carried the moisture of urine and some supported the tipsy and many became a safe haunt of the romantic. Some gathered moss and weed and the old words were hidden. I wouldn’t repeat “Walls too have ears”, I would say “Walls too have voice”. Each one is looking for a wall of expression to reach out to many, to be heard, thought about and cared for. I found my facebook wall giving a facelift to many minds. My facebook wall made me converse my thoughts with the unseen listener and I felt relieved when I found their “like”s and comments. Unlike in Frost’s “Mending Wall”, here walls do not divide, they bridge. My wall is my private public space, my soliloquy that keeps me secure in my solitude and loneliness. My joy, my pain, my loss, and my gain everything that I would like to vent out finds the most attended spot, my facebook wall.  

All my wall posts are my original thoughts and writings and the copy right is solely mine.

• THE BIGGEST LIBRARY IN THE WORLD IS THE HUMAN MIND
• IF YOU SLEEP OVER YOUR DREAMS, YOU WAKE UP WITH NOTHING
• CONSISTENT OPTIMISM IS THE SIGN OF A SHALLOW MIND
• THERE IS NOTHING MORE DECEPTIVE THAN TRUTH
• I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE FOR OTHERS, BUT FOR ME YOU ARE MY MOST SPECIAL, INCOMPLETE MASTERPIECE
• THE DEEPROOTED NOTION IN ME OF A GOOD, GRATEFUL, LOYAL AND JUST WORLD MAKES ME SOCIALLY MALADJUSTED
• A SAINT CAN NEVER BE A POET
• THE MOMENT A POET IS SANE, HE/SHE CEASES TO BE A POET
• IN A RELATIONSHIP, IT DOESN’T MATTER IF TWO PEOPLE ARE DIFFERENT, BUT IT DEFINITELY MATTERS IF ONE OF THEM IS “INDIFFERENT”
• IN KERALA, YOU FIND INTELLECTUALS WHOSE PAIN IS MERELY THEORETICAL
• LOVE IS ONLY FOR MATURED PEOPLE
• I HAVE ALWAYS FELT SAD AND LOST WHEN I SAW THE FAILURE OF SOME PEOPLE WHO ONCE WANTED TO BE SOMEBODY IN VARIOUS FIELDS
• I AM A GOODLUCK CHARM TO PEOPLE. WHEN I SAY IT, IT SOUNDS LIKE BOASTING BUT WHEN THEY DON’T SAY IT, IT IS PAINFUL
• I WOULD LOVE TRAFFIC JAM IF I HAVE TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH MY LOVED ONE IN A CAR
• SOME PEOPLE CAN ACCEPT AND DIGEST ANYTHING EXCEPT OTHER’S HAPPINESS
• AN UNKNOWN SADNESS GRIPS, THE FINGERS DON’T FEEL THE TOUCH, WORDS ARE SOULLESS, THE FEET DO NOT FEEL THE GROUND.. YOU ARE THERE, STILL I DON’T FEEL YOU.
• LOVE BRINGS OUT THE BEST, WORST, THE HOLY, THE UGLY, THE MEAN IN YOU. LOVE TEARS APART ALL YOUR PRETENSIONS
• AT TIMES YOU FEEL LIKE A CHEF WHO HAS PREPARED ALL THE DELICIOUS DISHES FOR A PARTY BUT THE APPRECIATION GOES TO THE HOST AND EVERY OTHER PERSON
• WHEN YOU FALL IN LOVE, IT IS YOUR EGO THAT FALLS
• LIFE IS AN OPEN PRISON
• A QUESTION TRANSFORMS YOU WHEN IT BECOMES A QUEST
• I like VAT............... Value Added TEACHING!!
• THOSE WHO ARE SHOCKED AT YOUR POPULARITY ARE THE ONES WHO UNDERESTIMATED YOU
• SOME FAIL TO REALIZE HOW IMPORTANT AND DIFFERENT YOU ARE, JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE ALWAYS AVAILABLE TO THEM
• WHEN YOU INVITE TROUBLE, BE HOSPITABLE

The Elusive

How can you be like the boundless sea?

How can you be like the autumn grove?

How can you be the silent, dull winter nights?

How can you be the elusive meaning of a favorite poem?

How can you be my eerie obsession?

How can you be an ever new obscurity?

How to name you?

You are my pain, my love, my depression, my anger and my emptiness.

-by Santhosh Kumar Kana

Koi Khwab

Koi Khwab khwab hi rakhna
Koi safar koi nazm adhoora rakhna
Koi shaks wafa door rakhna
Koi kadam dheere rakhna
Koi dard-e-anjam raaz rakhna
Koi aashiq naam chhupa rakhna
Koi ek haath badha rakhna
Koi khayal mera zaroor kabhi to rakhna

-by Santhosh Kumar Kana

THE POET AND THE SAINT

The diversity of imperfection is the poet

The monotony of sameness is the saint

Poet, the flickering flame of hope

Saint, the tedium of contentment

Poet is human, he is movement

Saint is static

Poet the surging waves

Saint the calmness of the mid sea

The gush of curiosity is the poet

The lethargy of the known is the saint

Poet is the melody of discordance

Saint is the boredom of accord

The seasonal fluctuations is the poet

The termite stricken uniformity is the saint

The human scent of perspiration is the poet

Saint is the suffocation of the incense

Poet is growth and evolution

Saint is dry philosophy

Poet is a gamut of formulas gone wrong

The dreariness of single formula is the saint

Poet reaps the grains of questions

Saint crushes them in apathetic meditation

The poet need not be saint

The saint shouldn’t lose his poetry .   

                                            

                                                                                      –by Santhosh Kumar Kana

LONELINESS

Don’t you feel useless at times?

That you are hollow words

The lessons of loneliness are deep like its pains

Don’t you feel like a frog croaking from a corner in monsoon?

Don’t you feel like the ancestral clock, just to look at and sigh

Don’t you feel like the ancestral home, swept, mopped and locked

Haven’t you felt the pangs of loneliness?

Isn’t it like conversing with darkness?

It’s like you see the moonlight stretched itself as on a mat on the floor

It’s like a vacant look in the eyes of a just awake

I owe my sanity to many lonely moments

-by Santhosh Kumar Kana

THE BAGMATI MOMENT

They looked into each other’s eyes and saw eternity, bliss and peace that the soul feels even after it is out of the body. A kind of spiritual orgasm. On these steps of Bagmati, mortals arrive to appease the departed and the river has been a witness to the rites, the old woman lighting the lamp and praying in the twilight, the chant of those mantras to pacify the troubled souls. Life is a river and on its banks of time, people meet.

They too had met for no other reason. A meeting of souls is a culmination of many tiny longings. She was in her fifties and he in his thirties and nowhere else could numbers be so deceptive!! She was so tender with love and charming in her dense curls. There was something about her that was soul like, untouched by the stains of the mundane, a freshness that remained in its purest sanctity. He was grace embodied and they stood on the steps of the river holding hands wondering in immense joy at the bliss of coincidence. They were beyond the body like their ancestors whose fond memories seeped through their hair and they all were present on the banks sharing the delightful mystery of life and death. Life is no less a mystery than death. There was nothing ritualistic but more "spi"ritualistic!!The dead ones could feel their moment on the bank as intensely as both of them in their bodies!! Meeting is as mysterious as parting. We meet once in the infinite expanse of time and what brings two together in time is as inexplicable as what happens to those who depart!! 

All through the chants and the tolls of the huge bells at the temple, the sound of the river continued like eternity. Moments of life are like those tolls and the eternal music of life goes on like the river. She had the sensitivity beyond the physical and morning in her balcony was the bedlam of crows and sparrows that she fed. They knew her language and she knew their mute messages. The dogs in the lane would throb with ecstasy at the sight of her. They felt thankful to her for looking into their eyes and sharing the primitive bond forgotten by many in their discriminative knowledge. The departed, the bodily present and the mute fellow souls, all came together. This is the bliss of a moment. This is the soul nourishing moment of a current of life that flows for no other reason.

SCHOOL IS A SMALL WORLD, WORLD IS A BIG SCHOOL

-the unforgettable experience of making a short film

“Text is not what is printed but what is read”, said Santhosh Kumar Kana sir, our English teacher on an evening after the school hours that was to bring the most memorable day in our school life. 

The lessons/stories in our supplementary reader text book of English are allotted by Sir to groups of students for presenting seminar on them. Sir believes that students should be given opportunity to show their talents and ideas by taking up a lesson for the whole class and that teaching is not one man show. I like this so much about Sir's teaching methodology.It was our group’s turn to present a seminar on the thrilling plans of escape of a prisoner called Evans in the story ‘Evans tries an O-level’ by Collin Dexter. We went to sir for guidance. We had decided to enact it in the class. Sir, who is liked for his histrionic skills too, at once said, “In that case, let us make a short film on the story”. Though we liked the idea so much, we looked at one another in the unlikeliness of implementing it for want of technical knowhow. Sensing it, sir assured us of directing the film and motivated us to prepare the script (scene wise). Ignited by the zeal of attempting something new, we went back to prepare the script. My friend, Asim took the lead and prepared the script within an hour. When we took it to sir, he was overjoyed at our creative output. For a moment, we felt we were no less than Coen Brothers!! And I think that was the lighting of the Olympic torch. What followed for two days were the best moments of our school life. The next day we were ready with the cast, the locations and props. Sir along with Asim surveyed all the shooting spots and planned meticulously. Though it was a Saturday (7^th July, 2012), the school was alive with our crew getting ready for the shoot at around 9.30 am. Sir reached sporting the Director’s Hat which triggered our enthusiasm sky-high. 

He asked Asim to prepare Shooting Script and taught us what it was. Our crew consisted of a dozen or more than that viz., Asim krishna prasad, Md. Amaan, Shaishav Agrawal, June Singh, Ojas Tulsyan, Sonali Agrawal, Sefali Agrawal, Harvinder Yadav, Utsav Maskey, Himanshu Pathak, Gaurav Bajaj, Abhishek Arya, Kritesh Bhatta, Rishav Kashyap and myself(Abhishek Jha) and of course our sir.

We watched in awe when sir explained the scenes and the frames. He would enact the scene and guide the actors. We finished shooting in two days (7^th and 8^th of July) and the post production work of editing was done very efficiently by Asim. The camera we used was given by our respected Principal Madam, Dr. Cicy Roy Mathew.  One of the funniest moments of creativity was to show a classroom as a prison cell. The two days left behind many a light moment also to cherish. Sir shot every scene from different angles after rehearsal. Yes, we were giving a new language to the story, a visual language. In Santhosh sir’s words, “our film is an interpretation, a reading”. 

We went deep into every aspect of the story and connected it to our surroundings and daily life, which is one of the main objectives of National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2005. We learnt how to separate the relevant from the irrelevant. I can say it strengthened the reader in us. It was a memorable off-classroom lesson. We learnt teamwork, crisis management and also location cheating i.e. to shoot in different locations but portray them as one. We learnt different ways or techniques of handling the text for eg. a ten second shot can describe a page in the text. We understood the meaning of joyful and meaningful learning. We could strengthen the teacher- student and also student-student relationship. 

The experience was really enriching as we got the opportunity to show our talent in the field of arts. It really made our vision quite different towards movies and arts and also towards the particular story. It was a real taste of intelligence and hard work which I consider as the greatest achievement of my student life. We were so happy and proud on the day of the premiere of the movie on the big screen at our Resource room in the school attended by teachers, students and Principal Madam. 

They had been waiting eagerly for it as the trailer of the movie was already becoming a sensation on “youtube”. I would always remember what Santhosh Sir says, “School is a small world, world is a big school”.

(You can watch the movie on www.youtube.com by typing “Evans tries an o-level”.)

-Abhishek Jha, Class XII , KV, KATHMANDU

Here are the comments from the crew and the audience.

I have heard it many a times that school life and each of its moment are to be preserved dearly because they never do come back, well this was one those special moments and for me this one certainly tops that list. The crew gathered on the 7^th of July 2012 and started the shooting at about 8.30am, we finished the whole movie by 8^th of July 2012. The crew had fun at every point of the shoot, making it a fun filled experience for all. It showed us all the meaning of going outside the box to not just learn the chapter but actually be a part of it. I am sure I speak for all when I say that EVANS TRIES AN O-LEVEL is now not only just a story from our English textbook but a part of our lives, where it has given so much to all of us and hope we did justice to the suspense thriller by Collin Dexter. Thanks to all the crew members, the viewers and most importantly Santosh sir for having the patience with me my dialogues. It was an experience of a life time not to be forgotten.

Md. Amaan

Class 12 (science)

Dear Sir,

 I watched your movie "EVANS TRIES AN O-LEVEL" and I have been very keen to tell you that it was a brilliant piece of work. With such little resources and such little time you have come out with a fantastic movie. It is a great turn in a student's life to be witnessing this and a very great way of teaching students and making them practically understand a chapter!.......Hope you will come up with more of these kinds of spices in studying.

Avantika Jhunjhunwala..Class IX

Evans Tries an O-Level took me to a Different level of understanding

Evans eventually surprised me to the extent I would have never thought of. A lesson which thrilled me so much, was even the more thrilling when I saw it visually. It is said that Initiative is a trait of an Intelligent person, this trait flows in the blood of our English teacher, Mr. Santhosh Kumar Kana, and all the students who had been a part of this movie. If I were to be a critic,this movie is a 5 star for me. A must watch.

Hardik Bothra

Class XII commerce

School Captain(Boy)

A very nice film made out of a very nice story regarding a criminal Evans and his ability to outsmart people.What I liked regarding the film is that a person who has not read the story can also understand the base of the story and can link to it. 

The acting of Evans(Asim), Jail governor(Amaan),and the fake examiner (Shaishav) was quiet impressive.Others did a nice job .It was quiet nice to see the enthusiasm  in their acting.It is a nice way of learning the chapter as the can link their questions to the story and can link them.The pick of the part in the film was the acting of Amaan while he was tensed regarding Evans escaping the jail for the fourth time; and the short session of talk held between Evans and the Governor where Evans describes his entire plan and how he managed to escape from the jail.

Overall it was a nice film.I might have not read the story still i can link with it. The credits needs to be given to the director and the editor who managed to make the film look nice,and the cast who acted beautifully.

Sriman Sawarthia  Class XI-Commerce

I had a fun time with my friends and Santhosh sir during the shoot of "evans tries an o level". It was great to see my friends act like an experienced ones. We together had funny moments during the shoot - teasing friends, taking their awkward pics. Moreover, I came to know about Santhosh sir's talent in the field of movie making. In total i had a great experience.

Himanshu Pathak, XII-Science

When I got to know that students of class XIIth , including my brother ,  were making a movie under the leadership of Santhosh sir, I desperately wanted to be a part of it and fortunately I got a chance as my brother took up the responsibility to edit the movie and asked for my help.I helped him in editing the scenes, adding credits and music and learnt a lot in the process.                                                

Ankesh Krishna Prasad, Class IX

It makes me feel proud to say that working with the crew members on the movie "Evans Tries An O-Level" by Colin Dexter was a great opportunity for me. The cooperation that we had in our team was marvellous in its own way. The movie based on this chapter will always remain as the footprints on the sand of time since it's the first movie made in the entire world in CBSE English by the students and directed by our PGT English sir. I would like to appreciate the enthusiasm of all the members of our team and especially of the script writer and the editor Master. Asim Krishna Prasad for his dedication and wonderful task.

In this scenario, I would like to suggest all the students that let us come up with new and innovative methodologies of learning new things which can help our future generations be proud and let us carve our name in the golden pages of history by doing such things which will remain for ever and ever. Well, this movie made by the students of KV,Kathmandu truly is the example of one of them.

Similarly, my heartfelt thanks to Mr. Santhosh Kumar Kana, PGT English, KV,Kathmandu; director of the movie for being so cooperative, helpful and enthusiastic without whom the movie was like a wet clay which then got a chance to be shaped into its perfect form. Bringing up new methods and incentives in the process of learning should be always taken into action by a teacher which Mr. Kana has proved it in a magnificient way. He is an inspiration to students and teachers. Thank you sir! 

Finally, again I would like to thank all the team members for such a wonderful task...

Thank you very much !!!

KRITESH BHATTA

XII-Commerce

The movie EVANS TRIES AN O LEVEL has been successfully completed with all the efforts of the whole team under the leadership of Santhosh sir. The making of the movie will always be in our memories as we had great time acting in front of the camera and even behind the scenes. From now I respect all the crew members and all the actors involved in movie making as there is a lot of hard work each member has to do to even shoot a small scene. It is a lifelong experience and will always be fresh in our memories as today. Thanks to Santhosh sir for his inspiration and guidance.

Harvinder Yadav

XII-SCIENCE

Minutes to Fame

Who would have ever guessed that learning a chapter from your course book could be such an amazing experience! 

“What’s so special in a chapter?” you ask. Ask anyone who was part of Evans tries an O-Level and the answer will blow you away.Being a part of the movie, Evans tries an O-Level, was an amazing and unforgettable experience for all. It was the first time that we had gone so far in learning a lesson, but with this we redefined whatever meaning of education we had prefixed in our minds. We not only learnt the chapter but went a step further and became a part of it. This lesson has been a pleasant surprise from the beginning. In the beginning none of us had chosen to present this lesson for the seminar, but thankfully we took the advice of our beloved teacher Mr. Santhosh Kumar Kana and got ready for the challenge. Sir’s idea of making the story into a movie gave us sudden confidence that this will be the best seminar ever. We all assembled on the next Saturday full of ourselves, waiting to be a part of history, and so it began. The day began with hustle from all around, with the few of us preparing for our first scene. Throughout the day many scenes were shot but even time failed to release us from the grip of excitement which had caught us.  Different scenes were shot in different locations throughout the day, and we all seemed to be taken aback by how well they were coming out. During lunch we all stayed back and explored those parts of the school campus which is not possible on regular days.  After the shoot at a restaurant in Lazimpat, it was pack up time for some of us, but the others it went on till late that night. Hats off to Santhosh Sir’s energy level, dedication and patience. He can breathe life into any kind of lesson. The next day was the second and the final day of the shooting. We reached the destination at 3 and the shooting got over by 6. The day’s shooting was mostly carried out on locations other than the school compound. Overall this was an amazing experience, and I would like to thank all those involved in this for making it such a wonderful experience for me. I would also like to thank Santhosh sir and Principal Madam for giving us such an opportunity.                                   

 JUNE SINGH, XII-SCIENCE

This was the first and the most memorable movie in my life… I was very privileged by the hospitable environment, my English teacher Mr. SANTHOSH KUMAR KANA sir provided us, the crew members…

My experience was extremely wonderful and unforgettable. I enjoyed the fullest beyond the four corners of the class. Though I haven’t done any acting before,,, fun with friends and Santhosh sir’s positive presence and guidance  really made my acting easy.I hope to get these type of opportunities further in which I would gladly and actively take part…

Thanks to my dedicated teacher, Santhosh Kumar Kana sir and friends…

UTSAV MASKEY

XII SCIENCE