Tale of a tailor
VIJAY GEORGE
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`Chakkaramuthu,' made by writer-director A.K. Lohitadas, tackles the dilemma of youngsters who crave for a Western lifestyle and forget their roots.
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MEASURE FOR MEASURE: Dileep and Kavya Madhavan play the lead roles in A.K. Lohitadas's latest film `Chakkaramuthu.'
As an adept tailor, there are few to match Aravindan's flair for design and cut. However, the man who is the last word in fashion in the village has eccentric tastes when it comes to his own attire. With his peculiar hairstyle, pointed ears, eccentric dress code and mannerisms, Aravindan does not quite measure up to the image of the expert tailor. Dileep plays Aravindan in writer-director A.K. Lohitadas's latest film `Chakkaramuthu.'
The shooting of the film is going on at Sreekrishnapuram near Palakkad. Art director Prasanth Madhav has added a few shops to the existing ones, towards a corner of the bus stop. The crew is forced to take a break on account of a drizzle. The crowd of fans wait patiently for the proceedings to resume to have a glimpse of the stars.
During the break Lohitadas narrates the storyline of the film. "Aravindan was a good student until he fell ill. His illness affected his studies and Aravidan began to falter in his lessons. Finally, when he began to fail in his examinations, Aravindan decided to become a tailor. As time went by, he became an expert in stitching blouses."
Changes in mind-set
According to the director and scenarist, his story has been inspired by the changes in the mind set of the young generation who feel that everything Western is good.
"The preference for a Western lifestyle has created a dilemma in the minds of many Malayalis. They are confused as they are not sure of how much they want to imbibe the new culture since they are reluctant to completely give up the culture they grew up in," he says.
The film delineates this theme through the lives of some villagers.
Says the hero of the film, Dileep, "There is no romance as such in the film. But the film is about love."
He says he took a day or two to get into the shoes of the new character.
Kavya Madhavan plays the heroine, Anitha, an undergraduate student of commerce. According to Lohitadas, "her character is a complex one and she has a crucial role in the story."
Elaborating on her character Kavya says, "The main trait of my character is that she never reveals her mind. Her father had died at an early age and her mother, a teacher, was very strict with her. But college opens a new world for her. Any young girl of her age can relate to the character. Even, I found a lot of similarities in Anitha."
Well-etched-out characters
She adds that the director has briefed her in such a way that she knows everything about her character - right from the time she was born to her thought process as a college student.
"It may not be shown on screen in such detail, but Lohi sir explains his characters in such a way."
Almost an hour later, the shooting resumes with a scene showing the tailor's shop. Cochin Haneefa and Kalabhavan Navas join Dileep in the scene. The blouses and shirts hung neatly inside a showcase is moved aside as cinematographer Rajaratnam goes in for a trolley shot. Dileep rehearses his dialogue during the final take and then the scene is shot.
There are four songs penned by Gireesh Puthanchery and one by the director himself. All the songs have been set to tune by M. Jayachandran.
Lohitadas points out that he perceives songs as an extension of the emotions conveyed in the film. "I use it as a medium to convey the thoughts of the characters," he says.
`Chakkaramuthu' is being produced by G.P.Vijayakumar under the banner of Seven Arts International. The cast includes Sai Kumar, Jishnu and Lakshmi Iyer. Editing is by Raja Muhammed and still photography by Jayaprakash Payyannur. The film will hit the theatres next month.
The work on Lohitadas' `Chembattu' will start in January.
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