Latest news with #SainaPlay
Mint
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
Harsh Goenka is thankful he didn't go to school in Kerala: ‘Where would I have hidden my…'
Kerala schools are doing away with conventional seating arrangements (traditional rows with desks arranged in straight lines facing the teacher) and have opted for a semi-circular arrangement with the educator in the centre, mitigating the concept of "backbenchers". The revolutionary classroom seating order is inspired by the Malayalam film Sthanarthi Sreekuttan. Harsh Goenka, Chairman of RPG Enterprises, mockingly remarked that he was glad to have skipped Kerala schools as "they've abolished backbenchers! That was my permanent seat," he said. "Thank goodness I didn't go to school in Kerala — they've abolished backbenchers! That was my permanent seat. Where would I have hidden my quick nap, my doodles, my secret samosa?" the tweet read. His post drew an array of reactions from social media users, who echoed similar sentiments and described the nostalgia of sitting in the back seats. A user wrote: "This Kerala system, going by the fact that first benchers typically don't sign well in life, the entire classroom won't be signing well." Another said: "When I answered a question in class and the whole class turned back to look at me — that feeling was priceless. That's what made me stay a backbencher forever. Not just for naps and secret snacks, but for those quiet moments of surprise." A third user said: "We should have these arrangements in colleges and universities. Definitely not in school… Why compromise fun in school?" A fourth user simply wrote: "Proud to be a backbencher." Several schools in Kerala are adopting a new semi-circular classroom seating arrangement inspired by the Malayalam film Sthanarthi Sreekuttan, which premiered on Saina Play last month. Moving away from traditional rows, this change places the teacher at the centre. Director Vinesh Viswanath, whose debut film is set in an upper primary school in Thiruvananthapuram, said, 'At least six schools have already introduced it and we came to know of it when they tagged our Instagram handle,' as reported by The Hindu. Reflecting on his own school days, Vinesh recalled sitting in a similar arrangement at Government LP School in Thiruvananthapuram and added, 'But when we placed that as the climax, we never expected it to reach so many schools."
Mint
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
‘No more front benchers': Kerala schools adopt revolutionary seating order inspired by ‘Sthanarthi Sreekuttan' movie
A revolutionary classroom seating order, inspired by 'Sthanarthi Sreekuttan' movie, is being adopted by several schools across Kerala. The film premiered on OTT platform Saina Play last month and has since sparked a progressive change from the traditional rows to a semi-circular arrangement. Vinesh Viswanath, who made his directorial debut with the Malayalam film based on an upper primary school in Thiruvananthapuram, said, 'At least six schools have already introduced it and we came to know of it when they tagged our Instagram handle,' The Hindu reported. The narrative focuses how the conventional row-based seating arrangement is given up for new. Recalling his school days at Government LP School, in Thiruvananathapuram, Vinesh said that he used to sit like that in his primary classes, adding, 'But when we placed that as the climax, we never expected it to reach so many schools." Targeting equal student engagement, this initiative aims to promote a change in the conventional arrangement where studious students occupy the frontbenches while the disruptive and rebellious ones are the backbenchers. The concept can be traced back to the District Primary Education Programme (DPEP). The programme, launched by the Central Government in 1994 in 5 other states besides Kerala, had recommended flexible seating arrangements. However, an inclination towards the traditional row system could not make its mass adoption a reality. Set in K R Narayanan Uttar Pradesh school, the story follows four mischievous students. Starring Aju Varghese, Johny Antony, Saiju Kurup and several other child actors, the Mollywood movie was released in theatres on November 29. Schools that have adopted this revolutionary change, include RCC LPS East Mangad in Thrissur; GHSS at Tholanur in Palakkad; RVV HSS,Valakom, in Kollam; Pappinisseri West LP School in Kannur; NSV VHSS, Valacode in Kollam; and Andoor ALP School in Kannur. In most of these schools the class strength is below 20. St Joseph's Convent School Barnala in a post on Instagram said, 'No more back benchers and front benchers. Let our children learn equally.' High School Parippu wrote, 'Our Student enjoyed this change & the change was evident in their bonding also which makes a clear face to face interactions & teacher can access to all students individually while teaching, Giving notes etc.' St George Church East Mangad School said, 'A scene at the end of this wonderful @sthanarthisreekuttan movie where all the children are sitting around the teacher. There is no first or second. Everyone is the same.'
The Hindu
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Malayalam film ‘Sthanarthi Sreekuttan' inspires a new seating arrangement in Kerala classrooms
Vinesh Viswanath did not expect his directorial debut, Sthanarthi Sreekuttan, to initiate a revolution. The climax of the heart-warming, coming-of-age Malayalam film about an upper primary school in Thiruvananthapuram, shows how a class does away with the conventional row-based seating arrangement in favour of a semi-circle arrangement with the teacher in the centre. And this has been adopted by several schools in Kerala, after the film released on the OTT platform, Saina Play, last month. 'At least six schools have already introduced it and we came to know of it when they tagged our Instagram handle,' says Vinesh. The idea is mooted by film's titular character, an unassuming backbencher who is perpetually late for class. The concept underlines the need to do away with the practice where the studious children are the frontbenchers and the often disruptive rebels, the backbenchers. The concept is not new since the District Primary Education Programme (DPEP) launched by the Central Government in 1994 in six states, including Kerala, had suggested flexible seating arrangements that some schools had tried. However, most educational institutions have been inclined towards the traditional row system. Vinesh, who wrote the story and co-wrote the screenplay with Anand Manmadhan, Murali Krishnan and Kailash S Bhavan, says that he used to sit like that in his primary classes at Government LPS, Pedikulam, in Thiruvananathapuram. 'But when we placed that as the climax, we never expected it to reach so many schools,' he says. The film, starring Aju Varghese, Johny Antony, and a bunch of child actors had several factors stacked against it from the start. It was released after a delay of almost a year and, despite the glowing reviews, it had a rather short theatre run. The OTT release came after seven months, considered a long gap in the business. The first school that introduced the new seating arrangement was RVV HSS, Valakom, in Kollam district, managed by KB Ganesh Kumar, Minister of Transport, Government of Kerala, who is also an established actor in Malayalam cinema. 'We had shown it to him several months before the film reached theatres and he liked it a lot. We were unaware that he had introduced the system in his school until one of his relatives told us. However, we could not publicise it when the film released because that was the climax of the movie. We made the reveal only after it started streaming on OTT,' says Vinesh. Director's take Vinesh Viswanath, who has directed several short films and a documentary, was an assistant in Anveshanam (2020), directed by Prasobh Vijayan. The pandemic that followed deprived him of chances to work with more directors. 'Sthanarthi Sreekuttan has many characters whose traits are taken from the people I know. Some of the incidents have happened to me during my school days,' he says. Vinesh has directed the documentary, Ee Bhoomeente Peru, which captures the journey of Thiruvananthapuram-based theatre troupe, Kanal Samskarika Vedi, when they travelled to Dibrugarh in Assam for Bharat Rang Mahotsav. According to Sunil P Sekhar, headmaster of RVV HSS, the new arrangement was introduced last year in classes one to four. 'We are continuing with it. It is not possible to have the semi-circular layout in all classes because the dimensions of the classrooms and number of students in each division varies. We have classes where there are 35 to 40 students. In such cases, we have changed the shape a bit without compromising on the idea of the teacher giving equal attention to all,' Sunil says. Other schools that have adopted this so far include Pappinisseri West LP School in Kannur, Andoor ALP School in Kannur, RCC LPS East Mangad in Thrissur, GHSS at Tholanur in Palakkad, and NSV VHSS, Valacode in Kollam. In most of these schools the class strength is under 20. Bindu MV, head of Pappinisseri West LP School, says that the school was happy to try the layout, which was suggested by one of their teachers, Amal C. 'We have implemented it in classes one and three. Since we have only a few students, we found it feasible,' she says. Amal adds, 'The children and teachers have liked it. The classroom looks more spacious now.' Sajesh PC, headmaster of Andoor ALPS, says that he was receptive to the suggestion put forward by one of the teachers, Athul MT. 'We have different clubs in school, and he was the one who started the film club. We were open to breaking conventions when he put forward this idea,' says Sajesh. Athul says that all classes except the kindergarten have this new seating system. 'We also screened the film for the students since all of them had not watched it,' he adds. According to Aalbert Christin, a teacher at RCC LPS, East Mangad, the same idea had been discussed earlier at various training programs organised by the Department of Education. 'Our teachers have done it before. It is the best way to communicate with students. The movie has inspired us to make it permanent and now it is in place in all primary classes, except in those classrooms that are not big enough. This arrangement does away with disparity between the academically good and weak students,' he adds. The blackboard is arranged in such a way that all students can see it properly, Sunil adds. However, it must be added that not everyone is happy with the new arrangement. Aalbert says, 'The ones who enjoyed being the backbenchers now cannot escape the eyes of their teachers!' The film is streaming on Saina Play
News18
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Tovino Thomas' Nadikar Finally Gets An OTT Release: When And Where To Watch
Last Updated: The film will be available for streaming on Saina Play. Tovino Thomas' film Nadikar was released in theatres on May 3, 2024. Even after a year in theatres, the film is yet to make its OTT debut. But that changes now. The film is all set to stream on the OTT platform Saina Play. While the streaming platform announced the news, they have yet to provide an official date. Sharing a poster of the film, the platform wrote, 'THE WAIT IS ALMOST OVERRRRR….!!!!! Nadikar is all set to make its OTT debut. The countdown begins. Streaming soon on Saina Play." Tovino Thomas leads the film and along with Divya Pillai, Bhavana, Soubin Shahir, Balu Varghese, Suresh Krishna, Anoop Menon, and others. In addition to them, Nadikar included cameo appearances by Dhyan Sreenivasan, Ganapathy, Shine Tom Chacko, and Sushin Shyam. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Saina Play (@sainaplay) Nadikar tells the story of David Padikkal, a prominent Malayalam film hero who lives a life of arrogance and instability. Due to his careless behaviour, he never arrives on sets and is frequently seen partying with girls. David will soon appear in a film under the direction of renowned director Koshy, who is known for his stringent on-set policies. As the shoot begins, Padikkal and Koshy argue over the star's inability to perform adequately. In a fit, David rushes into his car and attempts to flee, only to hit and hurt a crew member. As his reputation is shattered, the celebrity and his trusted confidants flee to Dubai. After his return, one of his allies advises David to engage an acting coach. Initially hesitant, he begins to instil a drive for the craft and hopes to sort things out in life. The film focuses on how David Padikkal changes his mindset. Suvin Somasekharan wrote the script for the film, which was directed by Lal Jr. The soundtracks and background scores were composed by Yakzan Gary Pereira and Neha Nair. First Published:
Time of India
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
‘Nadikar OTT release: Where to stream Tovino Thomas' long-delayed comedy drama
After more than a year-long wait, ' comedy drama 'Nadikar' is finally gearing up for its digital premiere. The film, which hit theatres on May 3, 2024, had been in OTT limbo ever since—until now. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Where to watch 'Nadikar' 'Nadikar' will soon be available for streaming on Saina Play, as officially announced by the platform on their social media handle. While an exact release date hasn't been revealed yet, the platform teased fans with the update: 'THE WAIT IS ALMOST OVERRRRR....!!!!! Nadikar is all set to make its OTT debut. The countdown begins. Streaming soon on Saina Play.' Stay tuned for the official streaming date on Saina Play. Fans who missed its theatrical run or have been waiting for a rewatch can finally look forward to catching the film online. Tovino Thomas aces his jump routine What is 'Nadikar' about? The film follows the story of David Padikkal who is a superstar in Malayalam cinema whose fame is matched only by his arrogance. Known for skipping shoots and partying his nights away, David is forced to reevaluate his life and career when a serious incident on set shatters his image. He accidentally injures a crew member and flees to Dubai to escape the backlash after a heated argument with his director. Haunted by his downfall and encouraged by his close circle, David reluctantly agrees to take acting lessons. What begins as resistance soon turns into self-reflection, and the film explores whether the actor can truly turn his life—and attitude—around. Cast and crew Tovino Thomas leads the film, and the rest of the cast includes Divya Pillai, Bhavana, Soubin Shahir, Balu Varghese, Suresh Krishna, and Anoop Menon, with Dhyan Sreenivasan, Shine Tom Chacko, and Ganapathy making special appearances. Directed by Lal Jr and written by Suvin Somasekharan, 'Nadikar' failed to impress at the box office but is now finding a second life on OTT.
