Fanfiction ‘Fans Talkies’ imagines the lives of some of Malayalam cinema’s loved characters after the end credits-OxBig News Network

The cover of Fans Talkies by Mridul George
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Writer Joseph Annamkutty Jose in his preface to Fans Talkies, a collection of Malayalam fanfiction (fanfic) short stories by techie-scenarist Mridul George, reminisces about how his older brother, rather nonchalantly ruined for him the happily-ever-after of the Malayalam film Aniyathipravu. They left the theatre, a young Joseph happy with the film’s climax.

His brother, however, had other opinions, which sowed the seeds of doubt. “We have only seen it [the movie] till now. The real problems will start now — should it be a church wedding or at a temple, should the kids be baptised or have a noolukettu [Hindu naming ceremony]? The evening prayers — say the rosary or light a lamp? It is all a problem!” Since then, he writes, he can’t help but think about what happens after a movie ends. 

He, like the rest of us movie goers, confesses to wondering about the course the lives of the characters would have taken. The writer, Mridul, also has thought about it. That led him to writing a fanfiction.

Mridul George
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

In 2018, he wrote his first book of fan fiction Paathi Murinja Ticketukal, a collection of stories inspired by some of his favourite films. It was possibly the first such one in Malayalam at that time. He has now followed it up with Fans Talkies, which follows the trajectory of another set of characters from Malayalam films.  

Fanfic in Malayalam

The first fanfic story he wrote, without realising that it belonged to the genre, was from the perspective of Mundakkal Sekharan, the antagonist in the Mohanlal film Devasuram. “At the time I did not know that it was a genre. I was inspired by MT Vasudevan Nair’s Randamoozham,” Mridul says. Randamoozham is a retelling of the Mahabharata from Bhima’s perspective. 

The response from his friends after sharing it on Facebook egged him on to write a few more, which led him to the first book. 

In Fans Talkies, he confesses to have experimented more in terms of the treatment and narration. While the life of fringe characters of films are explored, some stories pan in on what might have happened. The characters are grown up or aged, the traits of the characters stay at Mridul’s hands. But there could be, in some stories, an arc of growth or evolution. 

The characters in this new book are seldom the same as they were when we left the movies. “In terms of the narrative technique I have tried different things. I have left the characters as they are or shown them as they would have evolved with the passage of time.”

Mridul’s first book ‘Paathi Murinja Ticketukkal’
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

He has also written about characters that we may not have seen on screen but merely alluded to. A spoiler — Manichithrathazhu. Which character? You will have to read the book to find out. There is even one about two characters meeting up with the director of the film. A hint — the film is named after the two male lead characters who are at loggerheads. Then there are Premam and Summer in Bethlehem among others.

It is interesting how Mridul has imagined or rather reimagined a character’s life after the credits roll. For the reader there is a build up of suspense and expectation following each story, wondering which way it is headed and how the life of the characters has shaped up. “These can stand as short stories too. I would like this book to be a kind of bridge for movie aficionados and for those who may not be movie lovers, but would much rather prefer a book!”  

Mridul, a passionate movie-lover, besides having made short films, has co-written the Tovino Thomas film, Luca and yet-to-be released film Mindiyum Paranjum. These stories are his way of paying a tribute to storytellers who have told some of our well-loved stories, on reel. 

The book, priced ₹160, published by Mankind Literature, is in its second reprint. It is available in bookstores and online on Amazon and booklove.co.in.