During a telephonic conversation more than a year ago, scenarist Shashidharan Aaraattuvazhi had agreed for an interview. But some how it didn't materialize. Plans were renewed to interview him on the sets of Aval, superstar Mammootty's new production venture for the mini screen. But again fate intervened, rendering impossible all chances of an interview with this talented writer. It seems rather uncomfortable to write an obituary about him, when a lively chat should have taken place.

Shashidharan Aaraattuvazhi, who passed away on the night of January 21 at the age of 45, was a writer, who just because had a passion for writing, strove hard, really hard and emerged triumphant. Born in Aaraattuvazhi in Alappuzha district as the son of Arjunan Pillai, Shashi liked writing plays since childhood.But the conservative and strict environment around him did not encourage his creative activities.

When he wrote a play Kolayaali('The Murderer') sitting on the branch of a mango tree, his father advised him to refrain from any such activity as he was more interested in his son earning a government job.When Shashi was just 14, his father passed away. Then on, he had to help his elder brother Radhakrishnan after school hours in running the ration shop that they owned. The years rolled by. Later when Shashi was studying at S.D.College, Alappuzha, the craze for writing plays besieged him again.

He wrote plays and sent them to the All India Radio. His brother, the Late Gopinath, who was a journalist working with 'Mainstream' in Delhi, encouraged him in his creative endeavors. Shashi left Alappuzha and reached Thiruvananthapuram. There, he worked with 'Kudumbakatha' (as editor), 'Kuttikatha' (edited by noted poet Kunjunni Master)etc. and then started his own advertising agency-'Primary Colours'.

Shashidharan Aaraattuvazhi always had a passion for films and he had ambitions to become a scenarist. Of course he had had no formal grooming in script writing. But he gained inspiration from the various screenplays written by noted writer M.T.Vasudevan Nair.He made careful analysis of MT's screenplays and compared them to the original stories(by MT himself) on which these scripts were based. Thus he learnt a lot about script writing. And when he approached director Kaladharan with a serious subject, Kaladharan and Shaji Kailas(who was Kaladharan's associate then) remarked that though the subject was good, they could not do it.

They required something light. And instantly Shashi narrated a story that was more of a lighter vein. Kaladharan liked it, but decided not to risk doing it on being reminded by someone in the production department that it was an oft-repeated theme.Shashi came out with yet another story, which was okayed by Kaladharan and thus Shashi wrote his first film-script, for Kaladharan's Nettipattam, which was released in 1990. After Nettipattam, which did not do well at the box office, director Rajasenan came seeking Shashi.

And Shashi promptly told him the very same story, which was earlier, rejected by Kaladharan. Rajasenan accepted it and the film -Ayalaththe Addheham-became a big hit. From then on, there was no looking back for Shashi. He wrote scripts for more than twenty films in a career spanning over a decade.The major ones among these, besides Nettipattam and Ayalaththe Addheham were Yoddha, Vaardhakyapuraanam,C.I.D Unnikrishnan B.A B.Ed, Poruththam, Kaliveedu, Cheppadividya and Kudumbakodathi. Most of these were noted by critics as really well-constructed scripts and that's why Shashi remained in demand even as new faces were making their entry with newer trends and some established ones passing on into a state of hibernation.

And thus Shashidharan Aaraattuvazhi, with 20 odd screenplays, 12 dramas and a lot of other journalistic writings and all to his credit, continued with his prolific writing. He enjoyed every moment of his career. And lately when he passed away unexpectedly, he was working on the script of Aval, the mega-serial to be produced by Mammootty for Kairali TV.

It is a matter of no doubt that interviewing such a talented writer would have been an experience in itself. But what's lost is lost. It's not the thought of the lost chance to interview that really pains the heart, but the thought that Malayalam Cinema doesn't have many other writers like Shashidharan Aaraattuvazhi to boast of which really sorrows the heart.