There won’t be any Keralites who have missed the comedy film ‘Ee Parakkum Thalika’. The comedy scenes of Dileep, Harishree Ashokan and Cochin Haneefa are unforgettable. Though Dileep was the hero of the film the central character was a ‘bus’--Thamarakshan Pillai alias thakkida tharikida shakadam. There is a story behind Thamarakshan Pillai’s entry into the film. Cameraman Salu George shared it with Kerala Kaumudi.

‘While doing the film, we wanted a bus. After wandering around many places, we finally got the bus from Kottayam. The bus was an average one, a good vehicle to drive, we painted it and made it good. Bought the bus for a small price of 2.5 to 3 lakhs. We later razed it and then placed the camera and the crane in it and made it running. Later named it ‘Thamarakshan Pillai’.

Frankly speaking shouldn’t have made it so conditioned. Should have made it rusted. Johnny Antony Jibu was there then. All of us razed the bus. We razed it with a hammer. To give the tone of the rust we used some spray and got it ready for Thamarakshan Pillai.