Kochi: It’s a common habit most of us have – scribbling down random thoughts, memories of interest and stories – then flipping back the pages and pondering on them in our leisure. But what if one of your stories gets a new lease of life?

Juliana Ashraf is on cloud nine as one of her stories has been produced into a Malayalam movie “Marupadi” by none other than her husband Ashraf Bedi.

Ashraf and director Vinu were planning a movie but later dropped it as they found the story unconvincing. But Ashraf didn’t ever imagine that his wife Juliana had a story in her. The movie with a female protagonist is loosely based on an incident that happened in Kolkata years ago.

“I rewrote the story with a female lead dealing with atrocities against women,” says Juliana, for whom life has become suddenly hectic with interviews and events related to the movie. “Marupadi with Rahman and Bhama in the lead takes a look at the struggles faced by women in our society,” she adds. Juliana even did an in-depth study of the issue. She visited places and people close to the story, and took one-and-a-half years to finalise the script.

“Though I scribble my thoughts in my free time, I have never ever published a story,” reveals Juliana, who is grateful to her husband and three daughters who lent her all the support to pursue her interest. “If God permits I wish to develop more of my stories,” she says.