A police story
VIJAY GEORGE
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Prithviraj and Renuka Menon play the lead characters in `Vargam.'
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ZOOMING IN: On the sets of `Vargam.'
It is a routine scene at a check post. Trucks are parked one behind the other waiting to be cleared, as sub inspector Solomon Joseph of Rajakkad police station inspects the trucks. All of a sudden, a speeding jeep comes in with lights ablaze and heads turn that way. Things heat up, on the sets of M. Padmakumar's `Vargam.'
The location has just been shifted to Ambalamugal in Kochi, from Thodupuzha.
"My film `Vargam' is a family entertainer and not a full-fledged action movie," explains the director, whose earlier film was `Ammakkilikkoodu.'
Corrupt cop
Prithviraj is Solomon Joseph, the hero. Solomon is a corrupt cop and is neck-deep in all kinds of vice.
"Solomon was a rebellious kid and even after he joined the police, he was never ready to mend his ways. He is transferred to Kasaragod for his involvement in certain shady deals," narrates Padmakumar.
There he meets a schoolteacher, played by Renuka Menon, who comes to him with some complaints. However, when she comes to know about the true colour of the inspector, she dares him to react. By the time Solomon realises the extent of his wrong doings and starts to make amends, his past starts haunting him.
"I think this will be one of the most realistic cop stories to hit the Malayalam screen," says Prithviraj.
He is donning the khaki once again after `Sathyam' and `The Police', "but unlike those roles, Solomon belongs to a different genre," adds Prithviraj.
Cinematographer Shamdath mounts the camera on a trolley to zoom in on the hero. After `Kana Kandein,' Prithviraj is hot property in Tamil films too. "I am not there to challenge the heroes there but to do some good, performance oriented roles," he says.
New films in Tamil
His next film in Tamil, `Parijatham,' has just been completed. "It's a typical K. Bhagyaraj film, with loads of comedy and is a clean entertainer," says Prithviraj. His heroine in the film is the director's daughter, Saranya. Another film in the offing is a period film based on Neela Padmanabhan's novel, `Thalaimuraigal.'
Actor Koottickal Jayachandran joins him before the camera for the next shot.
He is a police constable who is close to Solomon. Jayachandran, the anchor of `Comedy Time' in Surya TV, is visibly thrilled "by the response to my programme, after a brief hiatus."
`Vargam' is being produced under the banner of Malayalam Movie Makers by Haseeb, Dhalik and Noushad.
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