Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 29 (PTI) Actor Mohanlal on Thursday said that reading cinema scripts written by eminent writers gave him the same experience as reading literature.
He was speaking at the inauguration of the Mathrubhumi International Festival of Letters held here.
Mohanlal said that although Thiruvananthapuram is often seen as a centre of rulers, politics and governance, it is also a city with a rich literary and cultural legacy.
He said the very mention of CV Raman Pillai was enough to establish the city’s literary stature.
The actor said that cinema was his world during his younger days, but he closely observed and developed deep respect for prominent writers, including P Kesavadev, S Guptan Nair, M Krishnan Nair, ONV Kurup, Sugathakumari, Vishnu Narayanan Namboothiri, P Padmarajan, Malayattoor Ramakrishnan and Puthussery Ramachandran, adding that the respect for them remains with him even today.
He thanked Mathrubhumi for choosing Thiruvananthapuram as the venue for the international festival, recognising the city’s position in the field of literature and culture.
Mohanlal said his association with literature came mainly through cinema scripts, which gave him the same experience as reading books.
He recalled observing characters emerge vividly from handwritten film scripts, and noted that although handwritten scripts are no longer common, letters continue to live on.
He also remembered prominent scriptwriters in Malayalam during his speech.
He said one of his unfulfilled dreams was to hear writers and scholars speak on stage at literary festivals."Sometimes we dream of unattainable things," he remarked.
The actor also recited a portion of the poem ‘Kaliachan’ by P Kunhiraman Nair.
Lulu Group International Chairman MA Yusuff Ali, Mathrubhumi Managing Director MV Sreyams Kumar, former Chief Secretary V Venu, writer KR Meera and Jonas Lusher were among those spoke at the inaugural ceremony.
The Mathrubhumi International Festival of Letters is being held from January 29 to February 1 in Thiruvananthapuram.
Around 700 speakers are expected to take part in various sessions of the annual literary event, which attracts participants from across the globe.