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A love affair with films

Udayan Ananthan is working on his debut film `Pranayakalam'

PHOTO: K.K. MUSTAFAH

NEW DIRECTOR ON THE BLOCK Udayan Ananthan's `Pranayakalam' is a love story, in an urban setting

A brand new director who has two prestigious projects in his kitty is Udayan Ananthan. One, a film with Mammooty and the other, a movie produced by AVA Productions, which is Medimix Anoop's maiden project. He is new in the feature film scene but not in the ad film world or other streams of cinema. In the early days of video films, he won the State award for the best video film, for `Kunjedathi,' a movie that was made on ONV's poem with the same name. It was in the early nineties. He has also assisted Shyamaprasad in making the telefilm, `Nilavariyunnu,' before he entered the advertising field.

No hesitation

Udayan will direct his maiden commercial movie in March.

Unlike many who are either not sure about the cast or script, Udayan reels out facts about his directorial venture without hesitation. It has an unpretentious title: `Pranayakalam.' The script is by K. Gireeshkumar. "It is an out and out pure love story, in an urban setting. It is to be filmed in Kochi in a two-month schedule," he says. Producer Anoop has given him a blank cheque in not only financial matters but also where casting is considered.

`Pranayakalam' has been in Udayan's mind for as long as he can remember, from the time he decided to be a filmmaker in his teens, he says. The 34-year-old bachelor who was `good in studies' dropped out of engineering college when he realised it was not exactly what he wanted to do with his life.

"Thankfully, my father supported me, though I was in my third year of marine engineering," says this native of Kaippamangalam, Thrissur.

"It was a chance meeting with director Shyamaprasad that changed the course of my life. I had seen his film `Uyarthezhunnelppu' on Doordarshan and its power grew on me. I got his number and phoned him. He was kind enough to let me meet him. I spoke to him and into the eighth or ninth minute, he told me, `You can work with me.' Today, he is not only my guru but I feel part of his family." Udayan assisted him in `Nilavariyunnu' and has been with Shyamaprasad for many of his projects.

It was to learn the technologies of filmmaking that Udayan went to Bangalore and entered the ad world. He worked with the successful adman, V. K. Prakash. He did pretty well and made ads for Kissan, Lipton, Dhathri, to name a few. Then, just as abruptly, he bid bye to the ad world and came right back home.

A chance meeting with director Ranjit pushed him deeper into the mainstream film world.

Discussing cinema became a favourite pastime and on the sets of `Black,' Ranjit introduced him to Mammooty. Udayan had a script in mind for him and spoke to him about it. "It is a subject which only Mammooty can do. But there are some logistic problems, which are being solved. That will be my second project," Udayan said.

`Pranayakalam' is a musical. Ouseppachan composes Vayalar Sarat's lines. Ajmal Ameer, a new face from Aluva, plays the lead while Vimala Raman, leading lady of K. Balachander's `Poi,' plays the female lead.

"The movie will reach theatres in May," he said. ? The `cinema crazy' lad from Kaippamangalam has his fingers crossed.

PREMA MANMADHAN

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