Just a month into 2016 and we are already mourning the passing away of so many of our creative friends from across the whole spectrum of the artistic community.
That Kerala has had it worse is gradually dawning on grief-stricken Malayalis who were first jolted with the unexpected demise of actor Kalpana on January 25.
And February brought with it even more awful news with the demises of Shan Johnson, the legendary ONV Kurup, popular cinematographer Anandakuttan and famed music composer Rajamani…all of whom just left us mid-way without even giving us time to take a breather.
That Shan died at the tender age of 29 and that too of a cardiac arrest seems implausible. Who dies of a heart attack at such a young age?
Is the insane pace of modern life with its innumerable permutations and combinations taking a toll on the younger generation?
We are yet to finish mourning Kalpana, when we have been suddenly hit by the loss of ONV, Anandakuttan and Rajamani at one go.
It’s as if the year has already made up its mind to claim its own pound of flesh wherein it’s now the universe’s turn to enjoy the sheer variety of talent that these artists had to offer.
On the national level, while we come to terms with the loss of cartoonist Sudhir Tailang and theatre activist Markhand Bhatt, the world is trying to make sense of the passing away of rock ‘n roll legends David Bowie and Glen Frey and actors Alan Rickman (remember Prof. Snipes in Harry Potter) and television actor Dan Haggerty.
And to think that we are just into February gives the jitters...
Hope the remaining months of the year take pity on our bereaved sensibilities, while we try to make sense of Death’s mysterious ways with the comforting solace that another far better world lies in wait for us somewhere up there in eternal space.