Khaberni - In an inspiring human story that breaks stereotypes about age and late opportunities, a retired Indian teacher captured the spotlight in the world of cinema, after she transformed into a striking star in a critically acclaimed movie at the age of seventy.
According to the bbc network, Priyana Watery Moomin, a retired professor of English literature from Tura College in Meghalaya, Northeast India, spent most of her life between the halls of teaching and the warmth of family, before embarking on an unexpected adventure that took her more than 3,000 kilometers, about 1864 miles, south to Kerala, to participate in a film in a language she did not master.
Moomin, who belongs to the Garo tribe, one of the indigenous groups in Meghalaya, never dreamed of acting, as she grew up in a city that knew neither cinema nor theater, but she suddenly found herself in front of the camera for the film "Echo," a Malayalam language movie that marked a radical turning point in her life path.
In the film, Moomin embodies the character "Malathi Chettathi," a mysterious elderly woman who lives alone in the highlands of the Western Ghats, amid the forests, fog, and stray dogs, while people claiming to be close to her attempt to uncover the secrets of her past.
The film, which is currently being shown on "Netflix," achieved notable critical success, and Moomin's performance was at the forefront of the audience's praise, both for the strength of her presence and for being an unfamiliar face on the screen.
On his part, the director of the work, Dingeeth Aiyathan, explained that the film team searched long for an actress with natural features and not overused to embody the role, before they received pictures and clips of Moomin from a previous short film about Garo tribe myths.
Moomin attributes her success to her life experience, saying that "living a full life" gave her an emotional reservoir that reflected in her performance, and she pointed out that her membership in a matrilineal community helped her understand the feminine dimension of the character.
Notably, the work opened new doors for her, as she received offers from filmmakers in Bollywood and beyond. Nevertheless, Moomin deals cautiously with her next step, emphasizing that acting is a taxing job, and she prefers to wait to see what the days bring.
