Kamal's tryst with reality
K.K. GOPALAKRISHNAN
|
Kamal's new film looks into the lives of Tamil migrant workers in Kerala.
|
DIGNITY OF LABOUR: Mammootty, right, has a word with film director Kamal on the sets of his latest film.
Kamal's new film, starring Mammootty and Padmapriya in the lead, tells the story of Tamil migrant workers who reach Kerala to earn a living. While many Malayalis yearn for a `gulf visa,' many workers in Tamil Nadu treat Kerala as their own `gulf.' A job that would earn them Rs. 60 to 80 in Tamil Nadu would fetch them between Rs. 150 and 250 in Kerala.
Dynamic lives
Kamal goes into the colourless but dynamic life of these Tamil migrants whose strengths are their determination to eke a living and their willingness to work hard. The title of the film, initially announced as `Karutha Pakshikal' (The black birds), is yet to be finalised. Kamal was inspired by a chapter, `Manja kanatha aniyathikutty,' from his book `Ormachithram.'
"Tamil workers making a fairly good living by doing casual jobs in Kerala have become a common scene in the State. All of us need them for sundry works even though many of us always treat them as `alien.' In this backdrop, I was contemplating a theme on those poor labourers in Kerala, looking into its social values and economic implications. When I discussed the story with Mammootty, he evinced interest in the topic and we began working on it," says Kamal.
This is Kamal's 37th film and the fourth with Mammootty, the shooting of which is progressing in Thrissur. Some of the scenes will be filmed in Pollachi.
Mammootty plays Murugan, a migrant from an interior village in Tamil Nadu, who makes a living in Kerala by ironing the clothes of the local residents. A widower with three children, Murugan's life revolves around his three children - Malli, Mayil and Alagappan, enacted by baby Malavika, baby Suhaila and master Tejas. To add to Murugan's woes, one of his daughters is blind.
"We can see many such Murugans in Kerala. He is an important cog in our lives; one that would be sorely missed. Yet, he is marginalised and kept away from the mainstream. He is ignored and never considered as an essential part of our lives," says Mammootty.
Metamorphosis
Mammootty's metamorphosis as Murugan is complete. He has cast aside his glamorous profile for this down-to-earth character. Although he was jubilant about the success of `Thuruppugulan' and willingly cut a cake offered by his fans assembled at the location in Thrissur, the super star seemed reserved. Padmapriya acts as Poomkodi, another migrant. This is her fourth Malayalam film with Mammootty.
Jagathy Sreekumar is Varrier, a caretaker of a house. He is an employee of Suvarna, enacted by Meena. Varrier is a mute eye-witness to the development of events in the house and plays an indirect role in varying the story forward.
"This is a common character seen in most Malayalam films. Many of my famous predecessors had left their indelible mark on such portrayals," remarks Jagathy.
"However, I hope, I too can do something through this role with the support of a director of Kamal's calibre, as this story possesses some novelty," adds the ace actor.
The cast includes Salimkumar and T.G. Ravi. While the former acts as Shanmughan, another Tamilian who also earns a living by ironing clothes, the latter depicts Muthuvannan, a papad vendor in a slum dominated by Tamil migrants.
P. Sukumar cranks the camera and editing is by K. Rajagopal. Suresh Kollam is the art director of this film.
There are two songs sung by Jayachandran and Manjari under the music direction of Mohan Sithara.
Produced by Kaladharan and Girijavallabhan under the banner of G.V. Productions, the film is scheduled to be released on November 17.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Friday Review
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
