Kottayam: It was his visit to Oman in the late eighties and early nineties that inspired C.V. Balakrishnan to write the novel Sulthan Nadu, about the ruler of Oman.
The writer was bowled over by the hospitality and intensely impressed by the liberal milieu and culture of that Gulf country, which he found very different from other Gulf countries he had visited.
The novel that came out of that first impression will now be made into a film. The script of the film titled In the Silver Light is ready.
Journalist John Brittas plays the lead role in the film, which is a tribute from Balakrishnan to Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said, the ruler of Oman.
"In the brief period of my stay, I breathed a fresh air where culture, sophistication, and a humanitarian concern is seeping right from the top of the administration to the very bottom of officialdom. This is a unique phenomenon among the Gulf countries. I have visited other Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia and Dubai on various occasions," Balakrishnan said.
He observes that the Sultan of Oman has a great deal of consideration for Indians and especially those from Kerala, which is evident in the way Indians are treated there. The Sultan was a student of former Indian President, Shankar Dayal Sharma.
"It is only for the arrival of Dr Sharma and Indira Gandhi that the Sultan used to come to the airport. Surely the Sultan had his officials have much affection towards Indians, probably inspired by his relationship with Dr Sharma," Balakrishnan added.
The life of the Indian diaspora has been interwoven in the script, "their hopes and aspirations and how they have built their dreams with the aid of the culture and milieu of Oman," Balakrishnan said. The plan is to shoot the film in Muscat, the capital city of Oman.
