What’s better than a first-time author entering the coveted Limca Book of Records? Shaji Madathil’s fictional work Pathirapattile Thennila Pakshikal, received the prestigious honour for its three-dimensional cover in the record book’s list for 2016-17. The resolve for being out-of-the-box is seen in the unique outlook of the work by this techie-cum-author-cum-artist. The appearance is not the only thing that stands out in this fictitious tale, but its theme is quite unusual as well.
“Not much innovation has happened with three-dimensional images in literature. I liked exploring an area left void. In Malayalam literature, I did not find any experimentation on a book cover. Combining both, I worked on the 3-D image,” says Shaji, who works as a senior software professional in Qatar. A computer generated image was given a 3D makeover. The book took four years to complete.
The theme stands out for telling the story from after-life. “It all started with the death of one of my colleagues. Thoughts regarding the worthiness and worthlessness of our existence disturbed my mind so much. Several religions consider the first 41 days after death significant. The soul is believed to stay here and leave on the 41st day. My protagonist, Uthaman, tells a story on every night and on the 41st night, his soul leaves earth. He speaks about many things from a love story and decline of values to global warming,” says Shaji.
He also did something else that’s different. He donated the royalty amount of Rs 1,30,000 to the pain and palliative unit of a hospital.
The author has attempted to picture the transparency associated to the appearance of a soul. An artist himself, Shaji has modelled himself a lot on his paternal uncle, renowned painter M.V. Devan. “He had been my role model. When I tried imitating K.C.S. Panicker’s work during childhood, he warned me not to. And asked me to try doing something on my own. I first planned to make him do the illustrations for my work. By then, he had turned too weak to draw. Madanan mash (artist Madanan) then did the job,” Shaji says.
Hailing from Thalassery, his family, comprising wife Sandhya Vijayan and son Akash Shaji, stays at Aluva in Ernakulam.
In October, Pathirapattile Thennila Pakshikal is getting an English translation, done by Jessy Zachariah, a doctor based in Texas.
