In the footsteps of AKG
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Shaji N. Karun’s docu-fiction ‘AKG’ recreates the life and times of a charismatic leader of the people. Saraswathy Nagarajan
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People’s leader: P. Sreekumar as AKG in the docu-fiction ‘AKG.’ The film focusses on AKG’s humanism and his ability to reach out to the people.
It was like turning back the pages of history. To go back in time and travel in the footsteps of Aayilliathu Kuttary Gopalan Nambiar, popularly called AKG.
‘AKG,’ Shaji N. Karun’s 70-minute docu-fiction, which reached theatres on Thursday, is the grand finale of a five-year-old effort to depict the life and times of a leader who strode colossus-like on the political scene and mindscape of Kerala and India. A leader of the masses.
“A people’s leader. That was AKG and my effort was to show the great humanist he was. Cutting across party barriers, AKG empathised with the downtrodden and the poor. The film happened only because of the respect and affection that he commands even now,” says Shaji.
First of its kind
It was the ambition of the Kasaragod district committee of the Purogamana Kalasahithya Sanghom to make a 30-minute video film on AKG that finally resulted in a feature film. A first of its kind in Malayalam.
Recalls Shaji: “The initial budget was Rs. 3 lakh. After discussions that lasted for nearly three years we decided to make a short film. Finance was always the stumbling block. While the Tamil Nadu government gave Rs. 1 crore to make a film on Periyar, we had to find ways and means to raise the funds. That was when the Abu Dhabi-based Shakti Theatres offered financial support and finally, we were able to begin work on the film.
“Novelist V.K. Panayal, who is the scenarist of the film, and I spoke to hundreds of people to gather their impressions. It was a Herculean task to decide what to retain and what to edit."
While Panayal transformed memories into narratives and dialogues, Shaji tried in vain to see if there were any recordings of AKG’s firebrand speeches.
“We were told that a certain mill owner in Coimbatore might have some of AKG’s speeches that were recorded secretly when AKG had led a strike against the mill owner for implementation of pension for the workers. But all those efforts came to naught. Even the Lok Sabha did not have any records of his speeches,” says Shaji.
Finally, it was actor Unnikrishnan Namboodiri who came to his rescue. He mimicked AKG’s voice and that was heard and approved by those who knew AKG.
Finally, the first shot was canned in Kayyur where AKG had led a farmers’ struggle. The scene being filmed was the Amaravati struggle in June 1961 when AKG had gone on a hunger strike for the restoration of land to the people who were displaced for the development of the Idukki dam.
“It was a memorable day. A huge crowd had gathered to watch the shot. Some of them were veterans who had participated in the Amaravati struggle. They had returned with their grandchildren in tow to recreate history. In fact, one of them had dismantled the cot on which AKG had fasted for more than 20 days. He had kept it as a memento. It is difficult to describe my feelings when I had to use that same cot,” says an emotional P. Sreekumar, who plays the Communist icon AKG in the film.
“People thronged to see me. Some of them wanted to touch me, some of them called me ‘Gopalaetta’ and many of them refused to sit while I remained standing,” recalls Sreekumar, a Left activist himself.
Memorable occasions
There were many such emotional high points for the cast and the crew of the film. Former Chief Minister E.K. Nayanar’s son Krishna kumar appears as Nayanar.
Says Krishnakumar: “The shoot in Kayyur was an unforgettable experience. I was there for only three days. But that experience has given me memories that will last a life time.” The late A.V. Kunhambu’s son Jayadevan dons the role of his father. Novelist Punathil Kunhabdulla plays C.H. Mohammed Koya, who was Speaker of the Kerala Assembly when the Amaravathi agitation was on. M.P. Parameswaran dons the role of EMS. Actor Archana appears as Suseela Gopalan.
Shaji recounts an incident, “Laila, AKG’s daughter, had misgivings whether Sreekumar would be able to do justice to the role. Finally when Laila saw his photograph, she was pleasantly surprised to see how much he resembled AKG. She was there in Alappuzha to see the shoot depicting AKG’s marriage to Suseela.”
Some of the scenes in the film were shot in the Central Hall of Parliament and in Teen Murti Bhavan, Delhi.
As Leader of the Opposition (from 1952-77), AKG had interacted with the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and later Indira Gandhi. One of the scenes featuring Indira Gandhi and AKG shows him voicing his differences over the Emergency. Theatre actors Ashish Sharma and Subha Sharma breathed life into the roles of Nehru and Indira Gandhi.
“It was a memorable occasion when I acted in the Central Hall and in Teen Murti Bhavan,” says Ashish Sharma.
“The Speaker of the Lok Sabha Somnath Chatterjee, who told us that he was a disciple of AKG, also appears in the film. So does CPI(M) general Secretary Prakash Karat, who was AKG’s political secretary in Delhi,” adds Shaji. In fact, the film is introduced by Prakash Karat.
Shaji hopes that the film also encourages others to explore the genre of short films. “It is difficult to encapsulate the life of a person like AKG into a short film. My attempt was to focus on his proactive political interventions and his humanism, and how he emerged as a leader of the masses. I think I have succeeded in that.”
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