If he hadn't been rejected from the leading role in the Thai flick Khun Dong, veteran painter Choosak Visanukamron's passion for drawing and painting would have been a mere hobby.
The prolific 73-year-old, who hails from Udon Thani, is one of Thailand's most celebrated artists, his string of accolades including the highest number of paintings of the late King Bhumibol. Other career highlights include depictions from the story of Ashoka the Great, his dedication to the propagation of Buddhism and more.
With more than half-a-century of experience, Choosak's humility and candidness have largely been moulded from his impoverished background; for years he made a pittance drawing movie posters and creating theatre standees. It was his zeal for following his dreams, coupled with a do-or-die attitude, that kept him persevering to experience a better tomorrow.
His exhibitions still draw a significant number of art lovers who have followed him through the years. His latest, a third solo exhibition, is being held at the Queen's Gallery on Ratchadamnoen Klang Avenue. Among the many exhibits are his historic collection of 70 paintings reflecting his memories of cinemas in Bangkok.
To get to know Choosak better, one has to delve into his past, to the time when all he desired was to become an actor. "I have always loved painting, but my first love is acting, largely because I was passionate about becoming a hero.
"It is destiny that brought me to where I am today. If it was up to me, I would have given an arm and a leg to enter showbiz. I definitely tried with all my might to enter a profession that, at the time, I felt I was born for."
The enigmatic artist took us back to when he was a dashingly handsome teenager, at least in his self-estimation
Choosak's re-imagining of the movie poster for Khun Dong, with him in the lead. Choosak Visanukamron's
"Nobody complimented me on my looks, but I saw myself as handsome. I just felt I was divine-looking. Looking back, I feel I was self absorbed," mused the artist, laughing, with a twinkle in his eyes.
"Back then I had a black-and-white photo of the yesteryear Thai actor Chaiya Suriyan in my wallet -- the reason being that I found him to embody the good looks found in actors of that era. Whenever I used the toilet, I used to bring out his photo and compare it to myself. I took great pleasure in finding the physical similarities I had with Chaiya, a leading actor I daydreamed to act opposite one day."
Choosak, whose father was a farmer and mother a teacher, knew early in life that to succeed he had to work twice as hard as his peers who were better off financially.
He was sent by his family to study art in Bangkok at the age of 15, as his innate talent for painting and drawing were brought to the attention of his parents.
For the next couple of years he called home a temple on Makkasan Road, where he pitched in with daily chores in return for a roof over his head and food. He said rural folks who came to the capital to study and who didn't have relatives had to reside in temples because there were dormitories back then.
While attending art classes, the aspiring actor was always on the lookout for auditions. He felt his big break had come when the makers of Khun Dong were searching for a lead actor. His confidence at an all-time high, he borrowed 250 baht from a monk to pay for photos, audition registration and miscellaneous expenses.
"I was vain about my looks, and felt constantly that people's eyes were on me. I have heard teens usually suffer from low self-esteem; for me it was too-high self-esteem [chuckles]. The day I went to apply for the leading role in Khun Dong was no different," recalled Choosak.
"I got my photos taken at a popular studio on Charoen Krung Road, where the who's who of Bangkok went. I came out clutching the photos I had taken with such pride, as if I had already been picked for the leading role.
"After sending my application that day, I was on cloud nine. However, what I left out of my application was that I was residing in a temple -- mainly for fear that this would hurt my chances of being picked.''
That night, Choosak dreamt that he had been chosen for the lead role and that all major newspapers had covered the news, which soon reached his hometown. His family, friends and even a girl he liked but who had rejected his affections were star struck.
The month-long wait for the letter that would seal the deal for him to taste stardom never came. He was devastated to the point that he felt sick. He eventually found in the newspaper that a young man with an overseas education had been picked for the role.
Today, Choosak opts to look at the positive side of life-changing situations, saying: "Looking back, I probably wouldn't have become a painter if I was given the lead role, so I have come to terms with that disappointment. Life has a way of panning out in a way that is just right for us.
"My friends often rag me that the reason I was not given the lead role in Khun Dong was that the casting team wasn't able to locate me, as I didn't write the name of the temple I was living in the time -- that I was their first choice and that the guy they eventually picked to star in the role was their second choice [laughs]."
Choosak said that in his aforementioned exhibition, he has addressed his demons of the past by painting the poster for the movie Khun Dong, with him in the lead and his drinking friends playing the villains. It has been a form of catharsis that has finally helped him come to terms with the fact that he was indeed born to become a painter, not an actor.
"This painting's composition wouldn't be complete without the letter, yes, that much-awaited letter of confirmation that I was picked for the role," remarked Choosak.
"Despite it being a figment of my imagination, it brings me closure, as the writing on the envelope reads, 'Kindly forward to the rightful owner of this letter, who has been waiting for it over 70 years'."
