Guinness Pakru turns 50; thanks the ‘big world’

Guinness Pakru, who has carved a niche for himself as an actor, director, producer and ‘kathaprasangam’ artist, has turned 50. The actor, whose real name is Ajay Kumar, celebrated his birthday on Monday, looking back on a life filled with challenges, achievements and memorable experiences.

Reflecting on his journey, Pakru said life has been an eventful one, particularly because the world is often designed with ‘big’ people in mind.

“The world is customised for ‘big’ people. When someone like me arrives in such a place, what can he do? We have to create our own world. That’s all,” he said.

Pakru, who has often faced questions about his short stature, said he has never considered it a limitation.

“People often ask me, ‘Aren’t you sad about your short height?’ My answer is, ‘Not at all!’ In fact, my height has given me several advantages and landed me in many funny situations,” he said.

Pakru recalled an incident from a 45-day tour of the US with a team that included director duo Siddique-Lal and actors Biju Menon and Bhavana. The group travelled extensively by bus during the trip.

“During the long and tiring bus journeys, while the other ‘big’ people had to squeeze into the aisle in the middle of the bus to sleep, I slept comfortably on a single seat. For me, it was a ‘double bed’,” he recalled.

“While lying on my ‘bed’, I heard someone walking past my seat say, ‘Wow! I wish I were like Pakru…’”

As a child, Pakru faced considerable teasing because of his height. He initially struggled with anger but eventually found his own way of dealing with it. “Initially, I used to get angry. Later, I changed my tactics. Whenever someone tried to tease me, I would join them. I laughed along with their jokes about me and even made fun of them. They would eventually stop,” he said.

Pakru’s childhood was far from easy. His family once lived in a hut without walls.

“A saree tied around the hut served as the wall. When you looked up from inside, you could see the sky,” he recalled. His family lived in rented houses in Kottayam and Aymanam for nearly 16 years. Pakru also began earning at a very young age.

“My first earning came when I was 10, through a ‘kathaprasangam’ performance,” he said.

Ajay Kumar acquired the name ‘Pakru’ after playing a character of the same name in the film 'Ambiliyammavan'. The name eventually became synonymous with the actor.

Over the years, Pakru has acted in more than 60 Malayalam films, including around 10 in lead roles. He has also ventured into direction and production.

His acting career expanded beyond Malayalam cinema as well. In Tamil, he shared screen space with leading actors including Vijay, Suriya and Ajith. One of his most notable achievements came when he entered the Guinness World Records as the shortest actor to play a leading adult role.

“Aren’t all these achievements a ‘big’ blessing?” he asked.

Pakru expressed his gratitude to the people who stood by him throughout his journey.

“There are many such people; my parents, friends, colleagues, teachers, the media and my family. Above all, the Malayalis! They are the ones who truly lifted me to the skies,” he said.

For Pakru, overcoming limitations is not about competing only with those who face similar challenges. Instead, he believes one has to push oneself further.

“If we feel that we have some limitations, we have to start running. We shouldn’t compete only with people who are similar to us, but with others. When others take one step, we may have to take three,” he said.

He also urged people not to be weighed down by comments about their limitations.

“If someone says, ‘He or she is capable, but…’ referring to our limitations, ignore them,” he said.

Pakru said his own life has had its share of painful experiences. As a child, he had to attend school in a village after schools in the town refused to admit him.

He also faced a personal loss when his first daughter died just 15 days after her birth.

“There are several such tragedies in my life. But you should never make an injury deeper by remembering them again and again,” he said.

Pakru believes that people facing similar challenges can find ways to overcome them.

“It is like taking something from a loft by standing on a chair,” he explained.

He sometimes receives calls from people who are teased by their friends for being a few inches shorter than them. Some are even addressed as ‘Pakru’ as a taunt.

“Those comments have to be ignored. We should never waste our ‘charge’. We need that ‘charge’ to cover a long distance,” he said.