Dreaming of Words[1] is a 2021 Indian documentary film[2] directed and produced by Nandan.[3] The documentary traces the life and work of Njattyela Sreedharan,[4] a fourth standard drop-out (roughly equivalent to fourth grade in American or Canadian schools),[5] who compiles a dictionary connecting four major Dravidian languages.[6]
Njattyela Sreedharan, a fourth standard drop-out, compiles a dictionary connecting four major Dravidian languages.[10] Travelling across four states and doing extensive research, he spent twenty five years[11] making the multilingual dictionary. This unique dictionary offers a comparative study of Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu.[12]Dreaming of Words traces Sreedharan's life, work, love for languages and the struggles to get the dictionary published.[13] The film also explores the linguistic and cultural diversity in India.[14]
People featured
The documentary follows Njattyela Sreedharan's unparalleled determination to compile his 'Dictionary of Four Dravidian Languages'.[15]
The film also features P. K. Pokker,[16] former director of Kerala Bhasha Institute, who decided to publish Sreedharan's Tamil - Malayalam dictionary in 2012[17] and K. P. Mohanan, the secretary[18] of Kerala Sahitya Akademi.
Also featured in the documentary are Seetharam Master,[16] N. P. Usha and K. K. Ramesh.