When nostalgia blooms…
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‘Neelathamara,' the first remake in Malayalam cinema, reaches theatres today. Saraswathy Nagarajan
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Flashback: Newcomer Archana enacts the role that was donned by Ambika in 'Neelathamara.'
Lal Jose agrees that it was the blossoming of a dream when he got the opportunity to make an “M.T. film.” ‘Neelathamara,' Malayalam cinema's first remake of a yesteryear film, reaches theatres today. The film was scripted 30 years ago by litterateur M.T. Vasudevan Nair and directed by Yusuf Ali Kechery. Directed by Lal, ‘Neelathamara,' the new version, is producer Suresh Kumar's ode to nostalgia; it has a script that was slightly reworked by M.T. to make the film in tune with the times. Lal talks about the making of the film and its cast. Excerpts…
The remake of the film
I have not seen the old version of ‘Neelathamara.' So, as far as I am concerned, it is a new film. It is a great privilege to work with a legend like M.T., especially on a script that was included in a published collection titled ‘Ente Priyapetta Anju Thirakathakal' (Five of my favourite scripts). I jumped at the opportunity to work with M.T. It was the script and the story that captivated me.
Unlike many contemporary films that are populated with black or white characters only, the main protagonists in ‘Neelathamra' (Kunjimalu, Hari and Sharath Kochammini) are all too human, each with his or her strengths and weaknesses. That, I feel, is a major attraction of the film.
Moreover, today, when most films are male-centric, this film's protagonist is a woman – Kunjimalu. It is her story… how this simple girl's feelings are out to the test when she falls in love. The film begins slowly and then builds up momentum as we journey through M.T.'s well etched characters. Certain parts of the film were filmed in the same Vaddakethu Mana where the first ‘Neelathamara' was shot.
The cast
Since the film covers two periods of time (1979 and the present), I wanted two sets of actors, who would act the older and younger versions of the main characters. That was a tough task as the two sets of actors playing the lead had to bear some resemblance to each other. We had a costume test to choose the cast.
As soon I saw Archana, I was struck by her strong resemblance to television host Parvati. I had no idea if Parvati would even do a film. But I decided to take a chance. After Parvati's photo shoot in the costume of the character, I showed her photos to a friend. He was completely taken aback by Parvati's and Archana's resemblance to each other.
Similarly, each of the characters was cast because I had a clear idea how each character should look like. Archana, Kailash and Suresh Nair, Ambika's brother, are all newcomers to the field while Rima Kallunkal is just a film old. Samvrutha Sunil enacts Hari's bride. Sridevi Unni, the late Monisha's mother, also plays a role in the film.
The music
Vidyasagar's music is a highlight. There were no songs in the old ‘Neelathamara.' But my film has two songs and four keerthanams. A duet has been sung by V. Srikumar and Shreya Goshal while the classical compositions have been sung by Carnatic vocalist Chertala Ranganatha Sharma. Another song has been sung by Balram who was heard in the Tamil flick ‘Mozhi' and in ‘Mulla.'
The budget
Produced under the banner of Revathy Kalamandir, the plan was to finish the film within the budget of Rs.1.5 crore. I managed to do that and all the credit should go to my team, especially my production controller Vinod Shornnur, cinematographer Vijay Ulaganathan and art director Gokul Das. Vinod's excellent coordination ensured that there was logistical hitches during the shooting.
M.T.'s reaction
Once M.T. saw the film and said that he liked it, I was in seventh heaven; in fact, he complemented me on the film. He was quite impressed with the casting too. I wanted to do justice to his confidence in me and to the script.
Next on the anvil…
‘Cousins,' which will have Mohanlal and Prithviraj working together for the first time. It will be scripted by Dr. Iqbal Kuttipuram who wrote the script of ‘Arabikatha.' ‘Cousins' will go on the floor in April but I might take up a film in between. Discussions are on… But all that will be after my vacation in Australia.
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