Power games
VIJAY GEORGE
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M. Padmakumar's `Vasthavam' focusses on graft and manipulation in high places.
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POLITICAL DRAMA: Prithviraj and Kavya Madhavan play the lead in `Vasthavam,' which is being directed by M. Padmakumar.
Call it role reversal of a different kind, one that is meant only for the camera. A poet, who has inspired many, appears as a politician while a politician, known for the gift of the gab, makes an appearance as the executive of a multinational corporation. A young hero plays a wily king maker.
A scene that is being canned at Kochi's Bolghatty Palace features all the three who figure in M. Padmakumar's film titled `Vasthavam.'
Balachandran Chullikkad, poet, is a politician who becomes the chief minister; Rajmohan Unnithan plays a senior company executive and Prithviraj is the hero.
"My film reflects corruption, power struggle and hypocrisy that we see all round us. Although it ventures into the corridors of power, it's more of a family drama than a politics-based film," explains Padmakumar, whose earlier films were `Ammakkilikkoodu' and `Vargam.'
The storyline
According to scenarist Babu Janardhanan, "The film begins when Balachandran Adiga (Prithviraj), who used to be a priest in a temple in Kasaragod, starts his journey to Thiruvananthapuram to begin his career as a Government employee in the Secretariat. It also marks the beginning of his transformation from a naοve youngster to a shrewd manipulator, who gets drunk on power."
The scene shows Prithviraj, who acts as a middle-man, arranging a meeting between the chief minister and the company executive.
Kavya Madhavan, Samvritha Sunil and Sindhu Menon are the heroines in the film. Kavya is Sumithra, whom Balachandran was keen on marrying. However, he eventually marries Surabhi (Samvritha). Sindhu is Vimala Thankachi, whom he befriends for his selfish interests. Jagathy Sreekumar plays a Secretariat employee, who is well past his age of retirement but manages to cling on to his job. Salim Kumar is frantically pursuing a permit to begin an industry.
Complex character
Prithviraj says though his character has shades of grey, there are enough reasons in the story that try to justify his transformation. He adds that he has cut down on his assignments to concentrate on this role. Prithviraj is now on a high with his Tamil films scoring at the box office.
Padmakumar feels that characters with a tinge of grey provide ample opportunities for the actor to tap his histrionic skills.
Manoj Pillai wields the camera for `Vasthavam', produced by Sree Chakra films. Lyrics by Gireesh Puthanchery have been set to tune by Alex Paul and the stills are by Shajil Obscura.
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