AWAD – Smallwonders 3

Cinema, Lyrics, Food and the Celebrations We Remember

We retain certain memories not due to their extraordinariness but because we experienced them, passed them on, and remembered them.

During the third episode of Small Wonders, Anuradha Nayar and  KG Manoj, the founders of The Language Mill, reflect on a series of ordinary experiences such as the lyrics of films and cinema, wedding feasts, the customary method of eating a Kerala sadya, and the way in which celebrations eventually become part of personal memory.

The topic starts by looking at cinema, songs and the experiences connected with them, then goes on to cover the sensory aspects of a Kerala wedding feast. There is some talk about the unspoken rules concerning how to eat a sadya, the situations surrounding it, and the memories that food brings. Celebrations like Deepavali and Thrikkarthika, with the warmth of lamps illuminating houses and the evenings, are also mentioned.

The talk slowly moves beyond Kerala and goes back to Chennai, to an earlier stage in their lives. At that time, Anuradha was employed at MEPZ and Manoj was working at the Office Tiger in Spencer Plaza. The evenings then bring back a different sort of memory—namely, Anuradha walking over to Spencer Plaza, spending time in the shared areas, browsing and buying books in the bookshops at Spencer, and enjoying simple snacks like pocket samosas.

The memories in question make the conversation extend beyond simply being a list of them. Cinema, lyrics, food, books, places of work, friendships and occasions all act as small signs of different periods in their lives.

A small conversation about the things experienced, the places remembered, and the ordinary moments that quietly become stories.

Small Wonders — Wake up with Small Talks.
A programme from AWAD by The Language Mill.

Rebuilding a Magazine with a Global Visual Outlook

Construction Philosophy (CP) is a specialised publication focused on the ideas, people and developments shaping the construction and built-environment sector. Its editorial mix brings together industry perspectives, technical expertise, infrastructure, architecture, engineering, innovation and conversations with influential professionals.

For KG Manoj, the association with the CP team was an opportunity to approach a specialised industry publication not simply as a magazine, but as a visual identity and editorial experience. He was involved in the rebranding of Construction Philosophy and the redesign of its publication system, working towards a more contemporary and internationally oriented visual character.

 

The redesigned approach brought greater emphasis to cover-led storytelling, strong editorial typography, structured information hierarchy, photography and visual composition—creating a publication capable of presenting technical and professional content with the clarity and visual confidence expected of an international industry magazine.

The February 2021 issue, for example, carried the theme “Bridging Souls of Quality” and featured a cover interview with E. Sreedharan, alongside articles and contributions from professionals across engineering, urban design, academia and the construction sector. The issue credits KG Manoj for Design & Layout.

For Manoj, Construction Philosophy became another exploration of how design can give specialised knowledge a stronger editorial voice—making an industry publication informative, contemporary and visually engaging without losing its professional character.

സഖാവും സേവകനും is a book by Kavalam Sasikumar that explores the relationship between two friends whose lives and ideological perspectives take different paths. Rather than presenting their differences as a simple conflict, the narrative observes how friendship, belief and contrasting worldviews can coexist within a shared human relationship.

The visual language developed for the book translates this idea into a distinctly Kerala metaphor — the Kalasham (Pot).

The Kalasham is deeply embedded in Kerala’s cultural and ritual traditions. Its meaning changes with its context, appearing at different stages of ceremonies, celebrations and practices. For this book, the pot becomes a visual metaphor for what we carry, what shapes us, and how the same form can hold different meanings.

The illustrations were created by KG Manoj, drawing upon the two central characters and their ideological differences as described by the author. Rather than illustrating the narrative literally, the visual approach uses the Kalasham to create a symbolic layer around the characters and their relationship.

Author — Kavalam Sasikumar
Illustration — KG Manoj

A collaboration where literature, character and cultural metaphor come together to create a visual narrative rooted in Kerala’s own visual vocabulary.

A Visual Record of Care, Support and Human Stories

Some stories of social change are best understood not through statistics, but through the lives behind them.

Behind Every Smile is a coffee-table book created by the Kerala Social Security Mission (KSSM) to document the experiences of people who benefited from its “We Care” initiative, a Kerala Government programme aimed at strengthening the social protection system.

The 96-page publication brings together a cross-section of beneficiaries and their experiences, recording the circumstances they faced and the support that helped them move forward. The book looks beyond welfare measures as programmes and presents them through the people whose lives they touched.

The project was extended through a series of videos, giving those featured an opportunity to speak about their own journeys. Their accounts reflect the emotional, physical and social challenges they encountered, and the role of timely support in transforming their lives.

Released by then Kerala Health Minister K. K. Shailaja, the publication serves as a human-centred record of the “We Care” initiative.

For The Language Mill, Behind Every Smile represents an approach to communication where documentation becomes storytelling — bringing together people, experience, photography, words and design to create a record that can be understood not merely as a government initiative, but through the human lives behind it.

Jatayupara Sri Kodandarama Temple, Chadayamangalam

Pranathosmyaham Ramam — I bow down to Sri Rama.

This first printed literature of Jatayupara Sri Kodandarama Temple marks the first literary initiation of the “Padam Padam Rama Paadam” project — the sacred journey of 1008 steps towards Rama Padam.

At its heart is the timeless story of Jatayu, the vulture king who rose against Ravana while he carried Sita away. Mortally wounded, Jatayu lived to reveal the direction of Sita’s abduction to Rama. Rama then performed his last rites and blessed him with moksha. Jatayupara preserves the memory of this sacred encounter through its rock, Rama Padam, Kokkarani and the Kodandarama Temple.

The story of Jatayu also lives through Kathakali, Kerala’s classical theatre tradition. Jatayu Moksham brings the epic episode to life through gesture, expression, music, movement and dramatic storytelling. A Kathakali presentation by artists at a nearby temple function further connected this ancient narrative with Kerala’s living cultural heritage.

The 1008 steps to Rama Padam transform the physical ascent into a journey of devotion — Padam Padam, Rama Paadam, step by step towards Rama’s feet.

This brochure begins that journey in words: a story of Rama, a tribute to Jatayu, and an invitation to walk towards the sacred.