Comedy star Sooraj Thelakkad’s house is a pleasant surprise

Sooraj Thelakkad has charmed the mini screen audience with his incredible comic timing. The talented artist who has positively turned his physical disability to one of his success mantras is truly inspiring. Sooraj and his family recently moved into his brand new house at the beautiful hamlet called Thelakkad near Perinthalmanna, Malappuram. The youngster, who is proud about building the home of his dreams, excitedly shows around the new house which is unique in so many ways.

Sooraj’s father Mohanan used to work as a collection agent at a bank and mother Jyothilakshmi is a home maker. His elder sister, Swathisree, too suffers from the physical condition called dwarfism. Sooraj’s grandmother, who loves to watch him on screen, completes the happy family.

“I have turned 23 now. I wasn’t even 90 centimeters tall when I was studying in high school. However, now I am 110 centimeters. Though it is a disability, I was offered opportunities and got noticed for my short stature. My father’s ancestral home was a small single storied house with mud tiled roof. Later, we built a house close to it and now my stepfather stays in that house. Though it had all the facilities, the features inside were too high for me and my sister to reach out to. I had always dreamed of building a house which suited our physical requirements,” explains Sooraj.

The two storied house is built in the contemporary style. The main road is close to the house. One could get two beautiful views of the elevation form the front courtyard. The living space, dining area, kitchen, stairway and two bedrooms are on the ground floor which has an area of 800 sq ft. As one enters the house, the eyes are immediately drawn to the trophies and mementos, won by Sooraj, neatly arranged in a shelf. The formal living space is adjacent to it. The family living area is arranged close to the stairway.

“The new house is designed giving prime importance to the convenience of my sister and myself. The shelves, cupboards, switch boards and wash basins are all arranged at a height where we can effortlessly reach. The height of the dining table too suits us. The steps on the stairway are shorter than the normal height, so that we can climb it without any difficulty,” says Sooraj. The stainless steel hand railings are attached on the sides of the steps to avail more space.

The work area is arranged as part of the kitchen. Instead of windows, louvers in GI pipes are built on the walls which let lots of natural sunshine into the interiors. The upper storey which has two bedrooms, balcony and an open terrace is about 590 sq ft in area. Sooraj and his sister’s bedrooms are in the upper floor. The quaint balcony is the perfect place to enjoy the vibrant sights at the road. This is also the place where Sooraj’s friends prefer to gather for a get together. There is a small open terrace on the back side of the house.

“We moved into our new house in October last year. The construction of the house including the furnishing was completed for just Rs 17 lakh. A loan of about Rs 10 lakhs was availed for the construction of our dream home. I don’t have too much money with me. My real strength is the audience who keeps supporting me and loves me despite my limitations. All of us are really happy that our dream of building a ‘short’ house has finally been achieved,” smiles Sooraj.

These are the factors which helped to lower the budget:

The area of the house was limited, giving importance to meticulous usage of spaces.

Light shades with putty finish adorn the interiors.

The cupboards in the kitchen and the wardrobes are made of cement boards.

Reasonably priced tiles are paved on the floor.