08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Writing His Own Chapters: Manu Jayamohan's Journey Through Storytelling
It's the little moments that make life big — a truth that performer and filmmaker Manu Jayamohan beautifully illustrated during his stand-up storytelling show The Smartest Person in the Room, at Aaromale - Cafe and Creative Community in Film Nagar.
Amid the warm lighting of the studio hall, Manu took the audience through the story of his life, setting the agenda with three simple yet profound questions — 'Why storytelling? Why do I believe in magic? And why am I here?'
Although he was an NRI kid, Manu's parents made sure he stayed rooted in his culture. He grew up watching icons like Shah Rukh Khan and Mammootty, and it wasn't until he moved back to Kerala that he fully understood the deep impact cinema had on him. In 2023, this connection came full circle when he worked on Aakasham, an independent music video. The project became a turning point — a redefinition of who Manu Jayamohan was and could be.
He shared candid anecdotes from his school and university days, describing several experiences as 'a slap to the face' for the class-topping student that he once was. With refreshing honesty and humour, he laughed at his younger self, acknowledged his mistakes, and embraced his journey. The audience listened closely as he recounted playing the role of Pootham in an annual day performance of the Malayalam poem Poothappattu, his battle with depression, his transformative years at Minerva University, and the powerful lesson that he didn't need to be the best person in the room to matter.
