Antony VargheseAntony Varghese, better and famously recognized as Vincent Pepe, the brawny, bumbling simpleton of Angamaly Diaries fame, does not have the habit of dreaming big.
Apparently, he doesn’t even want to own a house that’s anything more than the tiled roof home he grew up in. From his house in Karayaramparampu, near Angamaly, Antony shares his fondest memories with Onmanorama.
“My parents bought this plot and put up a house here when we were very young. My father, Varghese, is an auto driver and mother, Alphonsa, a home-maker. My sister, who’s younger to me, is a lab technician.
“When I was just 15, I was packed off to Mysuru to join a seminary there. That was my first venture outside the comfort of my home. I was all alone in a strange, new place. It was a totally different set-up there. I had to be up by five in the morning and was called upon to be systematic and disciplined. If you want to be prompt, punctual and disciplined, join a seminary. That’s your best training ground. But when I realized that there’s nothing as precious as one’s freedom and independence, I packed my bags and got back home
“I’m always restless. I’m not a placid character. I seldom stay rooted at home. I love to travel. At times, I take off on my own, and then with my friends. I’ve been to several places in India. I take things as they come. I seldom peer into hotel lists and bookings. When I reach my destination, I wander around till I find a place to stay. Of all the places I’ve been to, there’s none as beautiful as Manali.
“As most of the filming for Angamaly Diaries was done in and around our town, I did not have to stay away from home. My house in the movie is actually Chemban Chettan’s (Chemban Vinod Jose's).
'When I was just 15, I was packed off to Mysuru to join a seminary there', recalls Antony“I love houses with tiled roofs. They are my weakness. I love to keep looking out for beautiful houses and it’s quite a hobby of mine. There’s a two-storied house with tiled roofs near our Karukutty church. Bathed in lights, it looks magnificent at night.
“I’m from a very ordinary set-up. Maybe that’s why I don’t get carried away by glamour of any sort. Simplicity is what I look for in a house too. It should have all amenities that a family needs and be reasonably good in looks too. That’s my concept of a house. But unto everything, there’s a time and a season. Till then, I’ll wait.”
