Images of a scenarist
P.K. AJITH KUMAR
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Scenarist Ranjan Pramod will make his debut as a film director with `Photographer.'
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MAPPING STORIES: Ranjan Pramod is the scenarist of such hits as `Meesa Madhavan,' `Manassinakkare,' `Naran' and `Achuvinte Amma.'
Ranjan Pramod was in class eight when he realised he wanted to become a director. Now, 22 years later, he is living the dream, through his debut movie `Photograher.' The film starring Mohanlal, is based on the Muthanga incident in 2003. The shooting of the movie will begin on July 25.
`Photographer' may be his first film as a director, but he has already, at the age of 34, established himself as one of the leading scriptwriters in Malayalam cinema today. But for his debut film as a writer, `Randam Bhavam,' his four other films - `Meesa Madhavan,' `Manassinakkare,' `Naran' and `Achuvinte Amma' have been box office hits. One of his strong points is that he has not compromised quality for quantity.
"I am not here to make money. I'm here because I love watching and making films," says the director who is based in Kozhikode.
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After completing an editing course from Adyar, it was advertising that he turned to in the beginning. He worked with Rajeev Menon (director of `Minsaara Kanavu' and `Kandukonden Kandukonden') before launching an ad firm of his own, Autumncart. "My company was doing well, but I don't get time to devote to it now." Ranjan's first movie would have been `Mazhai Varappokirathu,' in Tamil starring Ajith and Juhi Chawla in 1997. However, the film, which was scripted by him, was shelved because of the strike in the Tamil film industry that year.
The Tamil film industry's loss was Malayalam's gain. Ranjan got his break in 2000.
"A production controller with Seven Arts, Mohan, asked me for a story that would suit Suresh Gopi. So I narrated a story about twin brothers. I was surprised when Lal Jose insisted I do the screen play as well."
The film, `Randam Bhavam' didn't do well at the box office.
"I was disappointed," he says, "because when it was previewed at a theatre in Chennai, it was well received by the audience from the film industry."
A well-crafted thriller, it is considered by many as his best work yet. His `Meesa Madhavan' with Lal Jose, however, became a hit and established its hero Dileep as a superstar.
"Writing that film was a challenge, because I was given a list of stars and was told to create characters and situations for all of them."
His next film after `Meesa Madhavan' - Sathyan Anthikad's `Manassinakkare,' which marked the comeback of Sheela, was less challenging, he says
"I was flattered when Sheela rated Kochu Thresia along with her other famous characters like Karuthamma and Kalli Chellamma. I was also pleased that the spiritual undertone in the film worked well with the audience."
Ranjan, who considers `Nirmalyam' (M.T. Vasudevan Nair), `Elipathayam' (Adoor Gopalakrishnan), `Namukku Parkan Munthirithoppukal' (Padmarajan) and `Oridathoru Phayalvan' (Padmarajan) as the best ever film scripts written in Malayalam, says he does not want to judge or rank his own works.
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