Veteran
actor
Thilakan,
who
recently
won
a
special
mention
jury
award
in
the
recently-announced
National
Awards
for
his
outstanding
performance
in
Ekantham
(2007)
directed
by
Madhu
Kaithapram,
has
been
selected
for
this
year's
Yukthiwadi
M.C.
Joseph
Award
instituted
by
the
Rationalist
Association
of
India,
India's
largest
rationalist
organization,
founded
in
1949,
in
memory
of
Mookencheril
Cherian
Joseph,
an
eminent
rationalist
from
Kerala.
The
award
is
mainly
given
to
writers
and
artistes
who
live
without
any
kind
of
association
with
religion.
Association
General
Secretary
Sreeni
Pattathanam
said
that
the
award
would
be
presented
to
Thilakan
at
a
function
to
be
held
at
the
Thiruvananthapuram
Press
Club
auditorium
on
September
18.
M.C.
Joseph,
born
on
January
6,
1887
at
Thripunithura,
was
one
of
the
founders
of
Yukthivadi
(1929),
the
first
ever
rationalist/
atheist
magazine
in
Malayalam.
Two
years
later,
he
took
over
the
editorship
and
successfully
brought
out
the
monthly
without
any
interruption
for
the
next
45
years.
During
his
tenure
as
its
editor,
the
magazine
got
identified
with
its
editor
and
his
famous
column
'Kurippukal'
(Notes)
carried
scathing
criticism
of
all
organized
religions,
superstitions
and
undemocratic
and
authoritarian
political
systems.
He
died
on
October
26,
1981.
According
to
his
wishes,
the
body
was
handed
over
to
the
Calicut
Medical
College.
As
in
Ekantham
which
tackles
the
subject
of
old
age
issues,
Thilakan
has
been
zeroed
in
a
similar
powerful
role
in
the
forthcoming
Orkkuka
Vallapozhum
by
popular
mini
screen
director
Sohanlal.
Produced
by
Vinu
Y.S.
under
the
banner
of
God's
Own
Movies,
the
movie
will
feature
Thilakan
as
Sethumadhavan,
aged
75,
who
makes
feeble
attempts
to
return
to
the
innocence
of
his
past.
Scripted
by
the
director
himself,
the
movie
is
expected
to
start
shooting
by
the
end
of
September
at
Kuttikkanam,
Idukki.