On My Pinboard - Joseph John

Joseph John, aka Joseph Ninasam, is a freelance theatre and film director and acting trainer. Hailing from Champakulam, Kerala, his family moved to Thiruvananthapuram, where he started working in theatre with Abhinaya Theatre Research Centre.

He completed his theatre diploma course from Ninasam, Shivamogga and worked with a travelling theatre group, Thirugatta for a while. He also worked with Rangayana Theatre in Mysuru and then moved on to becoming a freelance trainer.

Inspired by his parents, his father who was into theatre and mother who was a Carnatic singer, Joseph always liked exploring the arts.

He has translated works by writers Vaikom Muhammad Basheer and M T Vasudevan Nair to Kannada, and is working on translating the screenplay by Girish Kasaravalli such as ‘Ghatashraddha’, ‘Gulabi Talkies’ and ‘Kanasemba Kudureyaneri’.

Joseph has directed an upcoming political drama. Another project of his is the suspense-thriller ‘Rohithashwin’, which is scheduled to release in the coming months.

Cinema
Bicycle Thieves

“It’s a film loved by all filmmakers and film lovers. I love it because it captures the simplicity of life. Life is a simple journey and ‘Bicycle Thieves’ captures people around just as they are. The film is very natural and I’ve watched it umpteen times. It’s like the Bible to most realistic films and is said to have inspired neorealistic cinema.”

Travel
Kausani, Uttarakhand

“I used to read a lot. A while ago, a friend told me to travel and learn more about the world. Everyone says that reading triggers thoughts and makes one intelligent but it is important to travel too. Things covered in a book are like the tip of an iceberg; there is a lot more to be learnt from the world. I love visiting Kausani, Uttarakhand, where I have stayed for six months and visited multiple times. It’s believed to be a sacred place where many have been inspired to do great things. I also want to visit Venice, as my hometown Allapuzha, is known as the ‘Venice of the East’.”

Music
Pandit Jasraj

“Music has been a part of my life from a young age. During my travels, I would collect cassettes and carry my tape recorder to listen to them. I’ve always loved ‘ghazals’ and Sufi music. My all-time favourite would be Pandit Jasraj — all of his classical renditions evoke varied feelings. I am spiritual and his music has been a part of my life for a long time. Kumar Gandharva is another favourite musician of mine.”

Inspiration
T D John

“My father, T D John, will always be my biggest inspiration. He had his own theatre group which inspired me to become a theatrician. He always inspires me to read more and discuss the different books we are reading. My family continues to inspire me.”

Food
Fish Fry

“I’m not a fussy eater. I love ‘sambhar’ and make other vegetarian dishes. Cooking is a good stressbuster and invokes new thoughts. My comfort dish is ‘fish fry’, which could be because of my roots.”