“The Language in Churuli Has Not Harmed Society”; Writer Vinoy Thomas

Writer Vinoy Thomas, the author of Kaligeminarile Kuttavalikal (the story that inspired the movie Churuli), stated that the language used in the film has not caused any harm to society. He was speaking during a discussion at the Sharjah International Book Fair, based on his latest book, Prothasisinte Ithihasam.

Vinoy Thomas commented that art forms like films and literary works labeled as “good” are often the ones that can negatively impact society. He also emphasized that his efforts are aimed at reclaiming the essence of the Malayalam language.

The novel Nan serves as a continuation of Churuli. It tells the story of individuals searching for a criminal in a place inhabited exclusively by virtuous people. The novel delves philosophically into the concept of martyrdom. According to Vinoy, the world’s most beautiful love story is that of Dracula.

“Martyrdom is the crime one commits against their own body. Across religions, there is a tendency to revert to primitive rituals. My desire is the freedom to turn living individuals into fictional characters. Similarly, there should be creative freedom in the use of language,” said Vinoy Thomas.

He also criticized the outdated nature of school textbooks, claiming they fail to address the realities faced by children today. Vinoy remarked that many Malayalam teachers unintentionally turn their classes into comedy sessions. He pointed out that regional shop signs written in Malayalam dialects are the true preservers of the language today.

“I discover living Malayalam from comments on posts across social media platforms like YouTube and Facebook,” Vinoy concluded.