The Hindu : Kerala News : A serious tale told by children

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Monday, Nov 05, 2007
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A serious tale told by children

In a civilized society, children are a very important group. The life of parents revolves around their children’s needs and their dreams.

Oridathu oru Puzhayundu is a film that seeks to tell a story not just about children but also through children. Children make the future society and the film tackles an environmental-political subject through them.

Sumangala, a girl belonging to a migrant doll-making group from the Tamil land, has to leave her home because there is no water. While the girl gets left behind in the new land where she finds her lost doll, she also manages to make friends who fight for her safety.

The story narrates the efforts made by local children to see her back home, safe with her parents. However, when these children help the girl to get back home and also provide a source of water for them to survive, they return home to see their source of water becoming a target in name of development.

Addressing a press meet here on Sunday, director of the film Kalavoor Ravi Kumar said the story had touched his heart and he wanted to tell the story to the audience. “One has to like one’s own work to show it to others,” he said. Usually, filmmakers go by the successful formula of telling a story, underestimating the critic in each person, he added. The attempt here is slightly different.

The film, the first directorial venture of Ravikumar, was inspired by a Reader’s Digest true-life-story of a boy from Canada, who raised funds to dig a well in Uganda.

The story also uses the backdrop of the fight waged by the villagers in Plachimada against a multinational company manufacturing aerated drinks, which allegedly has affected the source of water in the village.

To be released in the theatres in December, the film got an emotional support from the people of Plachimada, when it was screened there, said Mr. Ravikumar.

The story and screenplay are by Jijo Ashokan. Jayashree is the protagonist. K.B. Venu, Ginny and Guatam are the others in cast.

Shyama Rajagopal

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