For my Non-Kerala friends
For those who are unable to understand my native language, I like to present a screen-made script of the documentary film. This amateur attempt of making a documentary film was done during my journalism studies at Press Club in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala. Close to Thiruvananthapuram city, there are two popular beaches, such as, Kovalam, which you may know because of its international fame and Shankhumugham, the one that is comparably unfamiliar to many. Though Kovalam is the most popular, I loved Shankhumugham much, because of the presence of many natural as well as man-made elements in addition to its hued evening sky, soothing breeze, and finally, the blissful sunset, which this beach is the most famous for. I tried to make the video by establishing many of the unexplored items of the beach.
The video is named as 'Ee Manohara Theeram', adopting one famous phrase from an old Malayalam movie song written by Vayalar Rama Varma, the ace lyricist and immortalized by the blest voice of Dr. K. J. Jesudas, the ‘Celestial Songster’. When the song was visualized in the silver screen, not other than the Evergreen Hero of Malayalam movie world, Prem Nazeer had acted in it by singing these famous lyrics. Finally, this well-known poetic phrase means that ‘This Beautiful Shore’, implying to the notion that all humans are in a way lucky to have a chance to live on this earth.
The 6-minutes and 11 seconds long video can be categorized into three sections. The first 1.15 minutes (Time code 0.15 to 1.34) comprise of a collage of the various elements of the beach. In the second part, which lasts for 3 minutes approximately (Time code 1.35-4.35), I attempted to explain each elements one by one, which have appeared in the previous collage. In the third part, which was shot in the evening, I tried to capture the beauty of the sunset.
The screen made script follows.
Section 1
The opening shot is from the face of the huge sculpture of a nude mermaid, which was given life by a famous sculptor 'Kanayi Kunjiraman'. Then the camera catches the sight of the ‘arattu mandapam’ (Arattu-the holy bath to the temple deity, and Mandapam – an open shed) located on the shore. This is followed by a queue of visuals…
The old Sea pier…
Moving through the sea pier…
The temple dedicated to the goddess…
Moving boat faraway in the blue sea….
Sea pier-distant view with fishing boats in front…
Fishing boats…
Starfish restaurant, which has the shape of a starfish…
A palace nearby, known as the Arattu Palace…
Section 2
Deep blue sea. I enter at the right end of the frame, walking in holding a microphone.
My talk: “This is the Shankhumugham beach. It is the place, where the travelers’ beauty concepts attain fulfillment. At the same time, it possesses the aesthetics elements of the sunset as well…”
An isolated and unbalanced tiny boat in the blue water…
Sparkles in the water peeping through a rectangular hole…
The Mermaid…
I stand in front…
My talk: “Here reclines the dream-owned apex of the architectural expertise. The Shankhumugham beach and its beautiful ‘Sagara Kanyaka’ (Virgin of the Ocean - Mermaid) have become world renowned now…”
Sagara Kanyaka is established by different shots…
To the arattu mandapam …
My Talk: “This mandapam is a monument to the glory of the old Kerala kings… Even nowadays too the rituals of Sri Padmanabha Swami temple like the holy bath (arattu) are observed at this mandapam…”
Some shots of the arattu palace…
View of the sea pier. A marble plate shows that this was opened in 1956 October 1st by ‘Adviser to the his highness Rajpramukh’
Walking through the sea bridge
My talk: "This sea pier was used in the former years for ships to alight the goods, specifically during the rule of kings. There was an old sea pier that was collapsed by the collision with a huge cargo ship and the remaining of which could be seen today also..."
Sea pier shots…
Fisherman…
In front of the Temple nearby…
My talk: “There are two myths behind the formation of the name Shankhumugham. According to the first, the place is called Shanghumugham with the presence of Lord Shiva (Lord Shiva –Shambhu-later Shankhu). The second myth says that Shanghumugham was evolved from shankha theertham (Holy water from Conch), and it later came to known as Shanghumugham..”
A dove on the sands…
blow waves…
A moving boat…
Fishing process using nets on the shore…
My talk: “Many people come to this beach for fishing as a means of their livelihood and as a leisure activity. The fishing activities are an inevitable part of the culture of the people who dwells here…”
Fishermen using hook…
Starfish restaurant…
My talk: “This restaurant has the shape of a starfish and is attracted by people of all ages. The park near the restaurant is chosen by the tired travelers for a rest during the evenings.”
Children in the park…
Walking tourists…
Section 3
Fall of the evening…
Parked vehicles…
Ice-cream vendors…
Aeroplane in the sky…
Flying bird…
More fall of the evening…
The setting sun…
Hue in the sea and the sky…
Beach...
My talk: “Now the Shankhumugham beach seems as if it is all set to witness the most magnificent and unique view of sunset. The enchanting sunset is one of the peculiarities of this shore...”
Peoples, travelers, couples, vendors, children, priests, and natives on the shore, witnessing the setting sun…
The last moments of sunset…
My voice from the back…
"A day of this enchanting beach is setting there customarily beyond the horizon. Everybody, who has enjoyed the marvel of this scene, is in a hurry to get home. This beautiful shore has an indistinguishable past equally linked with history and myth. Let this beach glorify the coming generation and its history forever….
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I am a lonely searcher
