If finding beauty in imperfection is the secret behind happy and peaceful life, then the people of Kalga village personify the best of the dictum, says Malayalam actor Antony Varghese, who recently released a travel vlog on YouTube along with his friends on May 13 based on their recent expedition to Kalga in Himachal Pradesh.
The two-part vlog titled Wabi-Sabi Exploring Himalayas with Antony Varghese is directed by Sani Yas and produced by Vaisakh C Vadakkeveed for their YouTube channel, Talkysm.
The first episode, a 13.5-minute video, features the “humans of Kalga” that include travellers and natives sharing their experience of living in the hilly village. Antony takes his viewers through snow-capped mountains and talks about the adventurous trek.
Speaking to Silverscreen India, Antony who rose to fame with Angamaly Diaries and Jallikattu said that the idea of making this video was sparked after reaching Kalga and meeting a few people.
“We shot a lot of footage throughout our travel. It was a beautiful experience and so we decided to make a vlog,” he said.
Vlog producer Vaishak said that people’s lifestyle in Kalga is different from that of people in cities.
“There is no rush or competition. People here find happiness in little things and have no complaints. That inspired us to make this vlog. In the video, we have introduced some of the interesting people we came across during our journey, including a woman named Shakthi from Chile, South America, who had come to Kalga to explore the Himalayas and Charlie, who runs a small guest house called Gypsy in the valley,” he said.
Vaishak said that they worked on scripting and narration to develop a storyline and add more layers to the footage. “These adventure trips help us break out of our comfort zones as we can’t expect sophisticated facilities during such a trek. Sometimes, we would have forgotten to introspect on various happenings of our life due to busy schedule. But travelling to such peaceful places helps us relive those memories and we have tried to convey that experience through the video.”
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Vaishak and team had earlier produced a documentary on actor Mammootty titled Chamayangalude Sulthan.
Antony, a travel enthusiast, has visited 14 countries so far.
“I love travelling. Last year, when Covid-19 lockdown restrictions were relaxed [in December], we visited Kalga with all safety precautions. We trekked to some of the highest points in the village. It was not easy at all, as you see in the video. Beyond the scenic beauty, what we loved the most about Kalga is the people. The natives were warm and welcoming,” he said.
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While Riyaz Mohammed edited the vlog, Sumesh Somasundar composed the music, and Sonu Kurian wrote the lyrics. Salman Yaas handled the drone camera and Shahaneer Babu gave the voice over.
The travel vlog was released by 25 celebrities of the Malayalam film industry on their respective social media handles, while actors Mammootty and Manju Warrier appreciated their efforts, the makers said. The video has been viewed by around five lakh people across several social media platforms.
The second episode of the series, which will explore Manali, will release in June.
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Speaking about Talkysm’s future projects, Vaishak said that they plan to rope in more celebrities for upcoming travel vlogs or documentaries. “Those videos will also be thematic like Wabi-Sabi and the theme be decided based on the place. Besides, we have planned a 46-day all-India trip based on which we will release around 10-12 episodes,” he said.
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Antony said that he has two films – Anjagajantharam and Aanaparambile World Cup – that are ready for release but have been delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Ajagajantharam is a Malayalam action film directed by Tinu Pappachan and written by Kichu Tellus and Vineeth Vishwam. The film also features Chemban Vinod Jose, Arjun Asokan and Sabumon Abdul Samad in pivotal roles. The film marks the second collaboration between Antony and Pappachan after Swanthanthriyam Ardharathriyil, the thriller film which released in 2018.
Aanaparambile World Cup, is sports film directed by debutant Nikhil Premraj.
“Besides, I am currently working with director Jis Joy for an untitled film. The film stars Asif Ali in the lead role while I and Nimisha Sajayan are cast in pivotal roles,” Antony said.