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PHOTO: N.SRIDHARAN

GOOD MAN Aashish Vidyarthi.

V.N. Narayanan, a circus artist, was moved by the recognition at Dharmadam. “None in my village has acknowledged what I do,” he said. He was one of the four, Vidyarthi Samman chose to honour this year. The other three were Narayani, an elderly member of a family of Theyyam artists, beedi worker Ramakrishnan, who’s seen to it that his daughters pursue higher education, and school headmaster and social worker K.Vijayan.

Reaching out to ordinary people makes actor Ashish Vidyarthi stand apart. The Samman, which honours responsible, simple citizens of society, had its first celebration in Dharmadam, Kerala recently. “We plan to take it to all the States. It’s just a way of saying ‘Thank you,’ to folks who do not fit into any criteria on which awards are based,” says the National Film awardee. (The Silver Lotus for ‘Drohkaal’ is just one of the many honours the versatile ‘villain’ has won over the years.) “It’s my way of spreading goodwill, a gesture that could take society forward. Conscientious people shouldn’t go unsung, like my baba,” Vidyarthi pauses.

His dad (‘baba’ as he calls him), Govind Vidyarthi, belonged to Kerala. He was a litterateur, who could read and speak seven languages a freedom fighter, who refused to apply for the pension later on, a communist, connoisseur of arts and photographer who catalogued even small art forms of the country and created the archives of the Sangeet Natak Akademi. “You will find his name in the acknowledgement list, down in the alphabetical order,” Ashish Vidyarthi smiles sardonically.

“I vowed that when I became famous, I would get baba an award. Later I realised instituting one for the capable yet ordinary would be better. And Vidyarthi Samman was born,” he says. His dad passed away a year ago. Mother Reba, a Bengali, is an accomplished Kathak dancer. Wife Rajoshi and son, seven-year old Arth, complete the happy picture. Professionally speaking, between September and January next he would complete 13 films in six languages! “I’m a restless guy,” he laughs. His effortless comedy in ‘Malaikkottai’ was a treat. “Even when I heard Bhoopathy Pandian narrate my part I knew it would be different. And don’t forget ‘Ghilli,’” says Vidyarthi who earlier played a ruthless cop in ‘Dhil,’ and a heartless don in ‘Tamizh.’

“I owe my career in the South to Tamil films. he says. Has his judgment never gone wrong? “Several times! Once there was this Telugu film about a ghost. ‘Probably it will turn out fine,’ I told myself and went ahead and … it was disaster.” Vidyarthi concludes, laughing.

MALATHI RANGARAJAN

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