The man in suit has just arrived from London. He headed straight to the changing room at the Cochin International Airport. When he came out of that room, he was the cynosure of all eyes. He was clad in nothing but a humble mundu.
Meet Dr Vijayakumar Kandampulli, the man who retired as a government doctor in Plymouth. He divides his time among London, Thrissur and Portugal, where he goes to play golf. He still consults patients in London and Thrissur but never accepts a penny as fee.
He makes it a point to spend half a year in Kerala and to roam around like his ancestors did. Dr Vijayakumar has not worn a shirt in Kerala for about 30 years. He would go bare-chested to any public function he is invited to. “I am not one to squeeze myself into a shirt in this climate just to please the others,” he said.
“Had our fathers worn a shirt? No, because of the high temperature and humidity in Kerala,” Dr Vijayakumar explains the rationale behind his seemingly strange behaviour.
“Does the chenda artistes wear shirts? They cannot afford to sweat out in shirts when they perform. The temple priests do not wear shirts either because they work in narrow rooms with oil lamps and smoke. The moment we reach home, we tend to change shirts, complaining about the heat.”
The 71-year-old man in mundu is in stark contrast to his English avatar, complete with a bow tie. “You need a suit and tie in England. Otherwise you will be frozen to death,” he said.
He vacations in Portugal for three months with his England-born wife Janet. He wants to play golf daily, spending Rs20,000 on a single day’s entertainment. He even drives his Benz while on European holidays. Yet he is a true-blue Malayali when in Kerala.
Does the family appreciate his naturalism? “My mother used to tell me to put on a shirt. Then she gave up on me,” he said. He also recounted a visit to a 5-star hotel in Thrissur where he was denied entry because he was not wearing a shirt. “That was 20 years ago. My family walked out with me.”
The shirtless physician even visits patients in his own car. He said that he had never accepted money from any patient. Those who really want to acknowledge the service can contribute to the box in his office that goes for charity.
He said that the Malayali is suffering from overeating and dressing habits that do not suit the climes. “I can’t tell women to drop their tops considering the present situation in Kerala. Yet they could do well by opting for loose clothes.”
Dr Vijayakumar is a frugal eater. He starts his day with a glass of water. He then hits the gym for weight training. He goes to his vegetable garden before sitting down for breakfast that consists of a cucumber and two tomatoes.
He said that he never eats anything to do with rice or wheat. Lunch is any dish made of local vegetables. There is no dinner, except for an occasional bowl of cut fruits.
“A Malayali uses up 90 per cent of his energy on digesting food. Only the rest is spent productively. My job is not to digest food,” he said.