Politics in the frame
VIJAY GEORGE
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Anil C. Menon's `Rashtram' has Suresh Gopi playing the role of a chief minister.
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LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION: Madhu, Suresh Gopi, Laya and KPAC Lalitha on the sets of `Rashtram.'
Scene one. The interiors of an old theatre on the suburbs of Kochi has been done up in white for Anil C. Menon's `Rashtram.' A song featuring a dream is being shot.
The usually firebrand Suresh Gopi dons a romantic face and joins Laya, lip syncing the lines being played on the record player. More white flowers and a few close-ups, the director yells, "pack up" for the day.
Cut to the next scene. It's reality now, in multi-colour. In Panampilly Nagar, a portion of the road is flooded with vehicles. In the midst of policemen and curious onlookers, Suresh Gopi spews some hard-hitting dialogues. Cinematographer Jibu Jacob opts for a trolley to fix the best angle that coincides with the action.
Suresh Gopi is Maliackal Thommi, who becomes the chief minister of the state, quite unexpectedly. He is the son of a respected senior politician, Maliackal Ouseppachan, played by Madhu. Thommi runs a timber business and never hesitates to raise his voice against injustice. After the sudden demise of the chief minister, the party decides to go for a popular figure. Although Ouseppachan is the obvious choice, he suggests Thommi's name for the post.
Family entertainer
Says Anil, "The film is not limited to politics, but is essentially a family entertainer. Thommichan, as he is affectionately called by all, sets out to change the face of the state. In the process, he antagonises a few but wins the hearts of many. A medical student, Laya is a relative who is in love with him," he adds.
The hero Suresh Gopi explains, "The perception of an ideal chief minister is someone who makes use of the ample resources in the state without passing the burden to the citizens. The character that I portray in the film is someone like that."
After his spectacular comeback with `Bharat Chandran IPS,' he is mainly playing "high volatile" roles, where he takes on the erratic system.
Suspense
"That is, perhaps, the kind of image that has been bestowed on me by the audience. They perceive me as someone capable of voicing their suppressed anger against blatant exploitation," he smiles. Will he wield the gun to take on the baddies? "It hasn't been decided," he laughs, reserving the suspense for the screen.
Quite a number of his projects are on the anvil. Of the two impending projects with Jayaraj, the first is an experimental film to be shot in 10 hours, after a week's preparations. The other will have him portraying a `chakiyar,' in an emotional family drama. A.K. Sajan's `Lanka' is all set to roll soon. Shaji Kailas' `The Tiger' will hit the theatres soon.
`Rashtram' is the next venture from producer C. Karunakaran of Carlton films, after `Udayananu Tharam.' The film has an impressive cast, that includes Thilakan, Nedumudi Venu, Janardhanan, KPAC Lalitha, Sai Kumar, Vijayaraghavan, Cochin Haneefa and Suresh Krishna among others. Sajeevan handles the script. Lyrics by Kaithapram has been tuned by Deepak Dev.
Costumes are by S.B. Satisan, art direction by Mahesh and stills are by Suresh Kaniyapuram.
The film is slated to be released in January.
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