Sebastian Kunjukunju Bhagavathar : the person behind the persona !
A beloved son,
A dependable brother,
A loyal husband,
A doting father,
A genial grandfather,
A steadfast friend,
And
A stalwart artist.
All these are worthy epitaph for the exemplary person he was!
Sebastian Kunju Kunju Bhagavathar was born on 9 February 1901 in Kanjiramachira, Alapuzha Taluk,to Pollayil Vincent and Margarita. He was their second born and named him Sebastian. But he was called ‘Kunjukunju’ with affection by his near and dear.
Sebastian was lured to art from a very young age. His parents had high expectations of making him a government employee since he was good at his studies. But the moment he got introduced to art, his attention shifted from studies to art and music. Sebastian’s parents were devout Christians and in those days art such as music and drama were a taboo for upper-class Christian community. He knew his family would never understand and allow him to pursue a career on stage. So he had to keep his music studies a secret. This was a bitter internal conflict in young Sebastian.
His stage career started while he was studying in high school at Ernakulam. During this period he joined the Tamil drama troupe as a harmonist and a singer. Though he became famous and an integral part of the drama troupe, Young Sebastian parted ways with them because of his difficulty to get along with their bohemian lifestyle. Art, for Sebastian was a revered way of life. This feeling, along with the strong principles and religious believes he had imbibed from his parents from a very young age, helped Sebastian lead an organised life till his death.
After Sebastian left college for good, he started staying at home helping his father. He used to secretly go and see stage plays. His parents were worried about his pull towards stage and decided to marry him off to make him more responsible in life. Thus on 19 April 1923, at the age of 22, Sebastian got married to Marykutty who was only 14 years old.
But the irony was that, it was only after his marriage that Sebastian started to seriously pursue his career on stage. He joined his brother in law’s (Mary Kutty’s elder brother Peter’s) Drama troupe and acted in Jnanasundari.
Throughout his life, Marykutty had always been a strong support for Sebastian. She happily took all the responsibilities of taking care of the family and never troubled Sebastian for anything. To quote him, “ I entered the stage after I got married. From that moment till her last breath, she always encouraged me as a guardian angel and supported and motivated me in each and every step I took. When I returned home after continuous days of work, she used to nurse me back to my health and send me on my next journey with a suitcase full of washed and pressed clothes, purse full of money and most importantly with a smiling face and prayerful heart.” Marykutty efficiently managed the household expenses and ensured the children’s quality education, leaving Sebastian to hone and develop his stage career. When Sebastian was unable to support his family in person, due to his hectic schedule, she was always there to extend them a helping hand. Sebastian always respected his wife for her intellect, logic and wisdom. He discussed everything with her and valued her opinions before taking any important decisions. Whenever he wrote an article he would read it out to her first for her opinion and duly incorporate her suggestions if any. In fact, his wife had helped him enormously to write his autobiography and helped him recollect many incidents he had otherwise forgotten. It was her greatest wish to see the autobiography getting published. But unfortunately fate did not allow it. She fell ill and died on 31 January 1962 closing the curtains on their long 38 years of blissful married life. Sebastian could never recover completely from this personal loss and grief. Without her support and driving force in his life he did not want to continue his career and hence bid adieu to stage and acting forever.
Sebastian’s life was dedicated to art especially to turning Malayalam drama to an independent and prominent art form of its own. For him, drama was not only his bread and butter but his very existence. From the school days, Sebastian took music seriously. During his high school days he joined a famous Tamil drama troupe as their lead harmonist and singer. It didn’t take much time for him to become famous and an indispensable part of that troupe. Still he left it all behind because he could not get along with the debauchery and irresponsibility towards art shown by most of the troupe members. Sebastian’s parents were pious Christians and had instilled high morals and values in their children. He had no intention to deviate from the path shown by his parents and throughout his life he kept his values intact.
When Sebastian became a much sought-after actor and money started pouring in, many people out of envy, fed stories to his mother and compelled her to bring her wayward son home. In those days, according to Christianity, drama and such performing arts were considered as Satanic influence. Sebastian‘s mother got so agitated over it that she implored their parish priest to censure him. But Sebastian’s sincerity, his genuine passion for art and his vow that he would always lead a pious guileless honourable life won over the priest that he even agreed to convince Sebastian’s mother of the nobility of her son’s intentions. Sebastian never went back on his words to the priest. No wonder he was conferred with the “Chevalier order”, the top honour awarded to a lay man in the Catholic Church, later in his life.
Many an artists have ruined their lives because of their lack of self control. Money and fame and above all the unrestricted freedom can often bring a tragic flaw in an artist’s life. Sebastian Kunjukunju Bhagavathar concludes his autobiography sharing his life long wisdom to future generation of artists – “ My dear actors and actresses, you must understand that you are graced with God’s special gift as talent. Otherwise you will not be endowed with a Godly “art”. Therefore an artist has a godliness in him. If he destroys art, it will mean he is loathing and forsaking God himself. In that case you will have to face God’s wrath. Hence you worship Goddess of art with devotion and respect. Then you will have all sorts of glories and prosperity. You will always shine like an eternal star in the world of art. May the goddess of art bless you always!!”.
References:
Oru Nadande Aatmakadha by Sebastian Kunjukunju Bhagavathar
Kalavediyil by Sebastian Kunjukunju Bhagavathar
Nadaka Smaranakal by Sebastian Kunjukunju Bhagavathar
Rajapart by Dr. K. Sreekumar
Sebasstian Kunjukunju Bhagavathar : A biography by Dr. Sreekumar
Cinema: Charithravum Kalavum by Dr. Aravindan Vallachira.
Sebastian Kunjukunju Bhagavathr by Nelson FernandedEnde Atmakadha by
Alleppey Vincent
Ende Diary by T.N. Gopinathan Nair