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Dil Bechare: Sushant Singh Rajput honours his commitment says Director Mukesh Chhabra

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The online release of the last movie of Sushant Singh Rajput, Dil Bechare, directed by the former Casting Director, Mukesh Chhabra is on July 24, 2020 via Disney+ Hotstar.

Dil Bechare: Sushant Singh Rajput honours his commitment says Director Mukesh Chhabra

 

Mukesh Chhabra said passionately that the film was a testament to faith and friendship in his life. The two had a strong soulful bonding. In fact, the then Casting Director had given Sushanth Singh Rajput the much needed breakthrough in Kai Po Che. Chhabra nourished the dream of becoming a film maker. What is more, Sushant Singh Rajput had unconditionally promised Mukesh Chhabra that he would act in the latter’s film, should he get the opportunity to direct a film. Rightly so, seven years later, when Rajput was at his zenith, when Chhabra approached him to act in his new venture, he honoured his commitment and completed the acting assignment as well.

Dil Bechare: Sushant Singh Rajput honours his commitment says Director Mukesh Chhabra

“When I approached Rajput with Dil Bechare project, he agreed to act without even asking for the story or see the script. In fact, I was very fortunate to have Sushant, as I had firmed up my mind that my hero must be someone who met the mind of the Director, instead of relying on the big stars. He helped me a lot on the sets. We discussed together and filmed each scene. It was those moments where I realised that Sushant was a better creator as well other than being a good man and actor. Dil Bechare turned out to be a better project than I expected. The reason for that was through the help of my soul mate. When we announced the online release of Dil Bechare on July 24, 2020 via Disney+ Hotstar, the positive response it elicited from the fans were gratifying. I am not able to bear the grif to know that Sushant is not around to share the joy,” Chhabra said.

Sanjana Sanghi and Saif Ali Khan are presenting the main characters. AR Rahman has composed songs for the film, while Sony Music has acquired the music rights. In fact, the title track of Dil Bechare was rendered by Rahman himself. The additional score is provided by Rahman’s apprentice group, Qutub-E-Kripa. Amitabh Bhattachrya has written lyrics for the film. Fox Star Studios is the producer of the movie, which is the film adaptation of the 2012 renowned novel of John Greens, titled The Fault In Our Stars.

Dil Bechare: Sushant Singh Rajput honours his commitment says Director Mukesh Chhabra

Roughly translated in English, Dil Bechara, which means The Helpless Heart, which is a romantic drama film. The shooting began on July 9, 2018 at Jamshedpur. Due to COVID-19 related lock down, the release of the film got delayed and then they decided to release through online platform. C.K. Ajay Kumar of Friday Media Chennai is the PRO for South India.

Viju Varma

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Viju Varma reminisces about the Documentary Film he made on OV Vijayan on the latter’s 90th Birth Anniversary

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As the 90th birth anniversary of legendary writer from Kerala OV Vijayan on July 2, 2020, Viju Varma, who directed the documentary film on the legend for the Government of Kerala, Sandehiyude Samvadadoorangal, reminisces about his experience he had while shooting the biopic.

 

Viju Varma reminisces the Documentary Film he made on OV Vijayan

In a free-wheeling chat  with the Editor of The Indian News, Jayashankar Menon, Varma speaks about the film and more. Excerpts:

 

TIN: Can you share your experience on making the documentry on the Legendary writer, OV Vijayan?

VV: I directed the documentary on OV Vijayan for the Public Relations Department, Government of Kerala. The faculty in the University College, Thiruvananthapuram and literary luminary, Sabu Kottukkal wrote the script. Praveen Panickar handled the cinematography. The technical aspects of the documentary was done by the Centre for Development of Imaging Technology (C-DIT) Thiruvananthapuram for the PRD. Except Delhi, I was able to visit and shoot all the places OV Vijayan had been, especially Palakkad. The film was able to capture the whole of the legend’s life in a comprehensive way. As a journalist, cartoonist, writer and what not…we were able to go through his life through his works. Rather being a peripheral documentary, we were able to make the film in a fictional form and that made me happy.

TIN: How did you go about the whole exercise of shooting the film on the legend, OV Vijayan?

VV: We were able to travel through all of his works including Kadaltheerathu (On the Seashore) and Khasakinte Ithihasam in the form of books and we could traverse through the paths he had tread. Palakkad was the main shoot location. We were mostly focusing on the verdant landscapes of Palakkad including Khasak and the peripheral areas. The sheer beauty of the rural landscape of Palakkad had immensely helped us in terms of shooting the movie in an aesthetic way thus justifying the legend’s works. Most of the fictional elements came from these hinterlands. We were able to cast Jayakanth who had lot of parallels with the legend in Palakkad. So, we cast him as Vijayan in the film as a suggestive character of the fiction. With that, we were able to create the presence of OV Vijayan real time in this documentary film. When it came to OV Vijayan, the availability of footages were between far and few and we had lot of restrictions for the making of the film. To a great extend, we overcame those restrictions by casting Jayakanth and thus making the presence of Vijayan felt through out the film.

TIN: What are the other factors that helped you to enhance the quality of your docu-fiction?

VV: We were able to get the reactions from the literary figures including Zakharia and Anandi Ramachandran. Unlike the usual documentary style of shooting full-fledged interviews with those who were close with OV Vijayan, what we did was making them speak about their memories of the legend in addition to the reaction from the Mullakka (Islamic Cleric) who knew OV Vijayan right from his childhood. Also, we got to speak to OV Usha, the youngest sister of OV Vijayan about her memories of her brother. We had only very limited number of people, nevertheless, the documentary traversed in two patterns. One pattern was the legend’s own soliloquy, extracted from his own book, Thalamurakal. The second pattern was the perspective of the director about OV Vijayan. So, the documentary was completely traveling through these two patterns.

TIN: Can you speak about the script?

VV: Yes, the script had the language which was standing close to the legend’s own language. So, the elaborate description of autobiographical elements from the book had immensely helped us to do the film with perfection. This has elicited humongous interest among those who watched the movie. Even we too were impressed with the script and this is one of the highlights of this documentary. We received the Best Biopic Award for 2010 from Government of Kerala. we also bagged Swaralaya Best Documentary Award,. Besides that our movie was included in the International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK) Award competition section, Mumbai International Film Festival, Act Award etc. More importantly, our film was included in the BA English course in Kerala University under the must watch rare documentary films. As an authentic documentary on OV Vijayan, I am very happy that the University had included my documentary film in the syllabus. For me, it was a great experience, as the expert panel of the varsity would have seen many a documentaries and found mine as the authentic piece and thus becoming part of the history.

TIN: What other documentaries you have made?

VV: I did a series of documentaries for UNESCO that adornes my profile. I have done about nine documentary films. It was 100 hours documentation covering legends of Koodiyattam art form, three documentary films on the musicality part of Koodiyattam dance form, including the acting possibilities and about the percussion instrument used in the music of Koodiyattam called Mizhavu. Thus, I was able to meet the legends of Koodiyattam including Sivan Nampoothiri in addition to the satisfaction of creating nine odd documentary films for a great platform like UNESCO and interacting with all these legends. This has definitely helped me as a film maker for bringing on the table, hands on experience of making films on these legends. I feel proud of all these achievements.

TIN: :What are the lessons you have learnt from making the documentary film on OV Vijayan?

VV: I had read the works of OV Vijayan, even before making this documentary films. As documentary films are dedicated to the scholastic purposes of the legends by documenting in the form of film, I was able to delve deep into the subject and educate myself the life and works of OV Vijayan. When I interacted with those literary luminaries who were associated with the legend, his contemporaries and those who lived in and around the place where Vijayan was born and raised up, it was a great learning curve and certainly a humongous experience as well. I have always been fascinated by OV Vijayan’s versatility. As I also hail from Patambi in Palakkad district, the inspiration for me to call a spade a spade would have certainly come knowingly or unknowingly from the legend. My varied passion such as film making, writing, sculpting and other creative pursuits might have had definite influence from these legends including OV Vijayan. In addition to that I take constant effort to look at the maladies that are taking place in and around us and take concerted effort to react to these imbalances in the society. Perhaps the competence of OV Vijayan in reacting to the social evils in the form of writing as well as in the form of his umpteen cartoons would have had an indirect influence on artists like us. Precisely for the same reason, being a social being, artists including me are not floating in an idle fashion to the inequities that are plaguing our society. Therefore, we delve deep into the undercurrents of these issues and resist those fissiparous tendencies with all our might. Probably, the enthusiasm to wade through the powerful undercurrent and still react to the social evils stem from the fact that it could be due to the paths the legends like OV Vijayan had laid for us to traverse. Yes, it is a constant struggle. Like what OV Vijayan says, life is full of struggles. In order to keep this struggle in mind, people like OV Vijayan would have influenced directly or indirectly. As a documentary film maker, I have first hand experience. Keep your eyes wide open, see and react. We have understood these facets. A man should have all these attributes, in his journey to attain perfection through his journey. This has helped me a lot during my sojourn. No one is complete. But, what we can do is to try our best to be genuine. When you think in those plain, the opportunity I got to make the documentary film on OV Vijayan has influenced me immensely in my character making.

Ananth Narayan Mahadevan

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Mai Ghat Nomination to Festival de France is a crowning glory: Director Ananth Narayan Mahadevan

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As the online screening of the Marathi movie, Mai Ghat is about to happen in a while from the Indian Pavilion at the Festival de Cannes, the nomination of the film based on a real life incident by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India is a crowning glory moment, says its Director, Ananth Narayan Mahadevan.

Mai Ghat Crime No.103/2005 Nominated for 73rd Festival de Cannes

In an exclusive interview given to The Indian News, the theatre personality, television and film actor and Director, Ananth Narayan Mahadevan speaks to the Editor, Jayashankar Menon about the movie, which is starred by Usha Jadhav, Script by C.P. Surendran and produced by Mohini Gupta, in a free-wheeling chat. Excerpts:

Marathi Film Mai Ghat Director, Ananth Narayan Mahadevan is upbeat about his film being nominated to the Festival de Cannes, even as the online screening from the Indian Pavilion is going on at this hour.

TIN: First and foremost, what is your reaction on your film, Mai Ghat being screened at the Festival de Cannes in a while?

ANM: The film Mai Ghat, after winning accolades in Singapore, New York, IFFI Goa, Kolkata, IFFK (Kerala) and Bengaluru now gets its crowning glory…the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India’s Official Selection to the Marche’ Du Film at Cannes. It is prestigious that both selectors and the Festival are of prime importance and to have Mai Ghat selected from a score of choices is indeed a rewarding experience.

TIN: You have embarked on this project after seeing an editorial pertaining to the court verdict of Prabhavati Amma. What was the trigger point to pick this particular inequality in the society?

ANM: Police brutality is linked to so many reasons…economic imbalance, caste differences and plain display of power. The recent George Floyd killing by a cop is nothing but the Prabhavati Amma case in another setting. The uproar all over the world has made the film more potent and topical. It will be a just tribute to the courage of a mother for exposing the disparities within the system while seeking justice for her son. Mai Ghat goes far beyond the brutality angle….it questions social responsibility and our individual conscience.

TIN: Instead of Hindi, having more reach, why did you bring the story into the Marathi context?

ANM: The regional cinema today has more impact than a star struck, mainstream formula Hindi film scene. I could have made it in my native tongue Malayalam, but being based in Mumbai, Marathi was a comfort zone to launch the film at a month’s notice which would not have been possible if I were to come to Kerala and look for an investor. Today language is immaterial to cinema….it becomes a mere subtitle…people all over the world only love the language of cinema. It is however my long standing dream to direct a film in Malayalam movie. Both actors and audiences are discerning and that is a great space to work in. I almost did, making a film on the real life incident of  ISRO Spy Case involving the Scientist Nambinarayan, but, though Mohanlal had agreed to do the part, for some reasons I realised that internal politics were interfering in locking a producer.

TIN: In your long journey through the television and cinema, where does Mai Ghat stand?

ANM: I make a sincere effort to better myself with every film. If you discount the mainstream films I made (Dil Vil Pyar Vyar, Dil Maange More and Aksar), then the last eight films have been a steady growth for me as a filmmaker…Staying Alive, Red Alert, Gour Hari Dastaan, Mee Sindhutai Sapkal, Rough Book, Doctor Rakhmabai, Life is Good! and now Mai Ghat. It is certainly ten steps ahead for me as a director and the response from international jury members like Roger Garcia and global stars like Tannishtha Chatterjee and auteurs like Shaji N. Karun second that.

TIN: Going forward, will you be taking up more such intense subjects plaguing the society as your theme and make movies?

ANM: I have already completed one potentially explosive theme recently. The film is being kept under wraps as we are targeting major global platforms. So till then it is lips-sealed.

Mai-Ghat

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Usha Jadhav in Cloud 9 as her Marathi movie Mai Ghat is screened at Festival de Cannes on June 25, 2020

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The National Award winning Hindi, Marathi, Spanish and English actor, Usha Jadhav is in Cloud 9 as her Marathi movie, Mai Ghat, directed by Ananth Narayan Mahadevan and script written by the English poet, ex-Times of India Editor and Script Writer, C.P. Surendran, will be screened at the Festival de Cannes on June 25, 2020.

Mai Ghat Crime No.103/2005 Nominated for 73rd Festival de Cannes

An actor with class, Usha Jadhav will always be remembered for her role in the 2012 Marathi movie, Dhag. She had bagged the National Award for the Best Actress. What is more, last year, Usha Jadhav had won the IFFI Best Actor Award (Female) at Goa for her stellar role as Prabha Mai in Mai Ghat: Crime No 103/2015.

Usha Jadhav in Marathi film, Mai Ghat, directed by Anand Mahadevan.

In an exclusive interview given to The Indian News, the young actor, Usha Jadhav speaks to the Editor, Jayashankar Menon about her experience of portraying a middle aged and old protagonist, Prabha Mai, who wages a protracted legal battle to prove her son innocent, who was brutally killed in police custody. Based on a real life incident happened in the capital city of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, the milieu of the story was shifted to a small village by name Mai Ghat in Sangli District of Maharashtra on the bank of Krishna River. Excerpts.

Mai Ghat Protagonist Usha Jadhav in Cloud 9 as her Marathi movie is screened at Festival de Cannes on June 25, 2020.

TIN: When you were approached by Ananth Narayan Mahadevan for the role of Prabha Mai, what was the kind of reaction you had?

UJ: Well, Ananth Ji and me..we worked together in an earlier television show. And after that, we tried to work in one project, but that never happened. When he had this story idea, then he called me and we met. He told me about this real life incident. Together, we did a google research and saw the reports and images. I was really really excited to do this film because, I think, this is the story which we needed to tell people.

TIN: How did you learn the intensity of the protagonist from the script?

UJ: Well, when you read the script, you can actually see the pain of that mother. When you read all the articles, it took 13 long years for Prabhavati Amma, who was fighting the case of her son’s custodial death, while persevering to prove her son’s innocence. If you see, actually she is not weak. She is not crying out loud the normal way an affected woman would do. That pain inside you is breaking. But still you are strong, because you need to fight. That I felt from the powerful script and that was how I prepared.

TIN: What were the typical challenges you had in terms of emoting one of the determined mother to fight against odds to prove her son innocent?

Usha Jadhav with make up as that of old Prabha Mai in the Marathi movie, Mai Ghat.

UJ: Well, emotional challenges, like I said earlier, is the fact that the protagonist is not crying out loud, but, she is feeling everything in her heart. That is breaking her. And that was a real challenge. On the one hand, you have to show her suffering. But you need to enact sans breaking down. That was certainly a challenge. When I had to show the suffering of Prabha Mai, yet without breaking down even once in the entire stretch of the film. Of course, physically it was a challenge because it was a challenge for me to play the role of a mother in middle age to oldage. So, the transition from middle age to old age was another set of challenge as it took three hours time to do the makeup of the oldage character and one hour and a half remove it as well. It was really really hectic for me as I had to sit calmly. I can’t do anything. Once you put the makeup you can’t open your mouth, can’t eat anything either. So, that was physical challenge I had to experience.

TIN: What was the kind of impact you had post shooting and when you saw the movie on screen?

Usha Jadhav receiving the Best Actor (Female) Award at IFFI Goa.

UJ: When I saw the film, of course I was stunned and I was happy too. Yet I was sad because of the intensity of emotions looming large through out the film. Each and every department of the film was nice. The cinematography is excellent, the sound work, art work…everything…my co-actors..their work…everything was nice. The background score by Rohith Kulkarni…every part of the film was nice…I had tears in my eyes actually and particularly in Goa IFFI, I was really happy with all the jury members’ reaction, John Bailey was the Chairman of the jury, while Lynne Ramsay, Robin Compillo, Zhang Yang, all members of the jury…they were really happy..they loved my film, they loved my work…I still can remember when he saw me in one party in Goa, Bailey said, “Oh My God! Are you the one who played this role? I finished the film and I immediately searched in Google…when I saw the young girl, I thought, may be, I am wrong and I checked thinking that there is something wrong somewhere.”

They were so happy and surprised that I being such an young person I was able to play that role. I still remember Lynne’s words…Lynne is the Director of the film You Were Really Here…and Lynne loved my body language in Mai Ghat. Lynne said: “Your body talks so much from middle age to oldage when you grow and that all her sufferings.” Lynne could see all the sufferings through my body language. So, I guess, these reactions were amazing for me. Mr. Ramesh Sippy, his wife, all the people who were in the party had the same reactions. I felt great when all these legends and great people praising and appreciating my work and the film. It was really amazing.

TIN: Can you elaborate on your other major works done before Mai Ghat?

UJ: After Mai Ghat, I completed the Hindi film, Bishwa. Anuj Thyagi is the Director, who has also directed The Last Colour. Nila Madhab Panda is the producer. I am there in the film. Sharib Hashmi is there too…it is a lovely film. Very cute story it is and I am very happy about that. Before that I did a Spanish Musical Film. Again, I had a great experience, working with some senior British and Spanish actors. Actually, for the first time I had the opportunity to sing myself. I rendered three songs in the film. So, that was lovely. And now I am doing Spanish film with Director Alejandro Cortes…he is an amazing director…The film is going to be in Spanish and the language too. So, it is very exciting and I am going to do another Hindi film this year. So, I hope we will start shooting soon so that we can shoot these two film this year, otherwise hopefully in 2021 for sure.

TIN: You have won the National Award for best acting before. Can you talk about that film?

UJ: Yeah…I received the National Award for Dhag…this was the film that changed my life actually because, you know, before that nobody was ready to cast me as an actor. No one was ready to give me the lead role or the second lead or any important character for that matter. Everyone were offering small roles and I was doing television commercials to survive. And I got this film and then after the National Award everything just changed. People’s perspectives changed…everything just changed. It was a great experience. It was a great film. All these women, be it Yashoda from Dhag or Firebrand I did Aruna Raje film or my character in Mai Ghat..all these women…they are very strong women…I am really happy that I got the opportunity in these three films to play the characters of strong women…

TIN: Going forward, what are your projects in hand?

UJ: I would like to talk about Firebrand…I loved that film…Priyanka Chopra and Madhu Chopra are the producers…it was a Netflix original film…and five times National Award winning director Aruna Raje is the director of this film…and of course, this is not the kind of Aruna Tai’s films…strong women…feminism…and it was amazing experience to work with her because when she had this idea, she called me and we met and she explained the story idea and then I told Aruna Tai that it was indeed an amazing idea. She went ahead and wrote the script keeping me in her mind as the central character. You know it turned out lovely…It was an amazing experience. We are still getting that. Again the amount of love and appreciation we got from critics and audience was amazing. So it feels nice.

TIN: Will you be interested in experimenting your acting skills outside Hindi/Marathi languages. For instance, Malayalam?

UJ: I think, to answer that, I will be happy to act in other languages. Of course, I am acting in Spanish language. I will be working in English language. As I always said that I am happy to work and I am open to work in any language and I am ready to learn that language, if we have a great script. I am willing to work in any language provided if the script is really good. Right now I am working in four languages and I am willing to work in more languages.

TIN: Tomorrow, Mai Ghat is screened worldwide. Having nominated to the Festival de Cannes, what is your reaction?

UJ: I am very happy in that our film is going to be screened at the Festival de Cannes at the India Pavilion. Of course, it is nice because it is a dream of every person, any artist to participate in Cannes and if possible with one’s own work. This year, actually, I am really happy that I have the opportunity, of course, I can’t be physically there due to the Corona situation. But…Ok…still we are happy that our film is there and we are going to watch our film. We are really really happy about it. My special gratitude to the producer of Mai Ghat, Mohini Gupta, the Director, Ananth Narayan Mahadevan and the entire team for making this film a reality.

Chakra1

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Vishal starer Tamil movie Chakra Trailer Scenes launched

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The trailer scenes of the Vishal starer Tamil film, ‘Chakra’ has been released. The film is an action thriller and entertainer filled with adventure. The full trailer is expected to be released soon.

First look poster of Vishal Starer Chakra which has going viral some time back.

Most of the film scenes were picturised in Chennai and Coimbatore. Vishal is producing this movie under the banner, Vishal Film Factory. M.S. Anandhan is the debutante director of Chakra.

https://youtu.be/6dsn_TTkoq8

‘Chakra’ is the theme of online business hypocrisy and deceit. Shraddha Sreenath plays the heroine as a police officer. Regina Cassandra is doing a quintessential character in the film. The other cast includes KR Vijaya, Srishti Dange, Manobala and Vijay Babu. Yuvan Shankar Raja is the music composer. C.K. Ajay Kumar of Friday Media is the PRO.

CP Surendran

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Mai Ghat Nomination for Festival de Cannes: “Meeting Prabhavati Amma, what struck me was not poverty, but innate dignity, Script Writer C.P. Surendran

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Mai Ghat Crime No.103/2005 Nominated for 73rd Festival de Cannes

C.P. Surendran, English poet, former Editor of Times of India and the Script Writer of Mai Ghat, the Ananth Mahadevan directorial Marathi movie that has been nominated for the online screening at the Festival de Cannes.

While speaking to The Indian News in an exclusive interview about how they approached the real life mother of the custodial death youth, Prabhavati Amma, said that the poor in India smell and sound pretty much the same across space and time. In fact, they even look the same, Surendran said and added: “What struck me was not her poverty, but an innate dignity and that is a rare quality, not because humans are not born without it, nevertheless, circumstances and the people around you tend to discourage you from displaying it.”

English Poet, Film Script Writer and former Editor of Times of India, C.P. Surendran.

In a free-wheeling chat, CP Surendran speaks about the script part of Mai Ghat and his plans of writing more scripts in the Malayalam film industry to the Editor of The Indian News,  Jayashankar Menon. Excerpts:

TIN: Mai Ghat has been selected for the screening at the Cannes, what is your reaction?

CPS: Surprised. We are living through such insane times when almost every person secretly wishes the other the very worst, pleasant things are a rarity. Recognition of one’s talent is always welcome. But please note, recognising another person’s talent is often the equivalent of denying one’s own worth. That’s why awards have become motivated and suspect.

TIN: You are an English poet, Independent Journalist and a columnist for various international dailies. How did you venture into writing script for a cinema, especially with Ananth Mahadevan?

CPS: Chance. Ananth’s brother, Ravi Mahadevan has always been a close friend from college days. When they were discussing the subject of a movie (Gaur Hari Dastan), the story of an Indian freedom fighter who was forced to wage his liberation struggle twice (once against the British, and the other against the Indian bureaucracy) Ravi suggested my name. I was not enthused at first as the subject seemed dry. But, as I learnt from Ananth, that was the challenge. Tarkovsky, in Sculpting in Time, talks about his interest in those characters who are static outside but seething inside. The reason why he depends on poetry and imagery and trance inducing rhythm is that it is so difficult to bring out that kind of conflicted personality to screen. The reason too why cinema in general takes to external conflicts like fights and loudness is because the other way is really hard, and a risk as well. To come back to Gaur Hari Dastan, my first script, it was a tough job because I had not watched enough good cinema then. But eventually, with Ananth’s help, I guess I pulled it off.

TIN: How did you approach Padmavati Amma and how did you make the changes to suit the Marathi milieu?

CPS: The poor in India smell and sound pretty much the same across space and time. They even look the same. When I met Prabhavati Amma in Thiruvananthapuram what struck me was not her poverty, but an innate dignity. That is a rare quality, not because humans are not born without it, but because circumstances and the people around you tend to discourage you from displaying it. And she dreaded sympathy as sympathy might weaken her resolve from fighting for justice for her son who died in police custody. I thought she dreaded the touch. The human touch of acknowledgement,  what she lost could not be acknowledged enough. The touch slighted the memory of her loss. The challenge was to get her unforgiving character right. The transplantation to Marathi was not a problem. I turned her into a washer woman. Because laundering clothes has to do with washing away stains. In the movie, the only time Prabha Mai lets go and shows her feelings is after she wins the case.

TIN: What was the experience you had when you completed the script for Mai Ghat?

CPS: I was going through a very difficult time at the time of writing the script. But writing it was the process that saved me from dysfunctions and depression. In retrospect, I believe writing that script was an assertion of will and character in the face of extreme isolation and trauma. So traumatised in fact that I remember walking down a narrow lane that ended in a small temple looking for Prabhavati Amma’s house, thinking all that was happening to me was someone else, someone known to me , but not me, looking for an elderly lady who was even more traumatised than me .

TIN: As a poet, can you elaborate on the works you had published so far? What are the new assignment that are on the cards?

CPS: My selected essays are coming up. A selection from published articles and columns. I have just finished a novel, “One Love, And The Many Lives of Osip B.” It took me well over six years. Let’s see what fate awaits it. These days I feel like poetry, a form of writing that renders me usually dysfunctional. So I am hesitant. And I have a movie project to finish. I will probably focus on the last. I forgot to add, in the last eight months, I have finished another shooting script. Malayalam Super Star  (I believe) likes it very much.

TIN: Contributing articles to various international dailies including the Gulf News, engrossed in the literary activities and now you are focusing on the Malayalam celluloid world, how do you manage all these things?

CPS: I work 16 hours a day. A lot of people may think an artist or a writer is wayward. Not in my experience. Few trades are as demanding as professional writing. In my case, the various departments of writing, to a large extend, balance each other. My political columns, for instance, keeps me rooted to reality as opposed to a life of imagination that movies and fiction demand.

TIN: What is the trigger point, being outside Kerala for a number of years, to get into the script writing for Malayalam movies?

CPS: Not just Malayalam. I have offers from Hindi and Marathi as well. But, of late, I seem to spend quite a lot of time in Kerala. Hence my interest in Malayalam. Besides, Malayalam cinema is open to new ideas, I think. which is an incentive for a story hatcher.

Mai-Ghat

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Mai Ghat Crime No.103/2005 Nominated for 73rd Festival de Cannes

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Mai Ghat Crime No.103/2005, the Marathi film, directed by Ananth Narayan Mahadevan a.k.a., Ananth Mahadevan, starring Usha Jadhav, earlier selected in the Indian Panorama 2019 has now been nominated by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India for screening at 73rd Edition of Festival de Cannes in Marche Du Film Online to be held from June 22-26, 2020. Mai Ghat will be screened on June 25, 2020 at 9.00 A.M.

Mai Ghat Crime No.103/2005 Nominated for 73rd Festival de Cannes

The film, based on a real life incident, where a Kerala woman, Prabhavati Amma, fights a long drawn legal battle to win the case of custodial death of her innocent son, Udayakumar back in 2005. As early as in July 2018, Criminal Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Court in the capital city of the south Indian state of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram finds two police personnel guilty of the custodial death of Udayakumar. Apparently, in a first, the Special Court sentenced these serving policemen to death.

Prabhavati Amma with the director of Marathi movie, Mai Ghat, Ananth Mahadevan.

Trigger Point

The trigger point of the making of this movie was when the actor turned writer and film director, Ananth Mahadevan happened to go through a newspaper editorial on this landmark verdict. He was instantly inspired to make Mai Ghat: Crime No.103/2005 on the legal ordeal and the struggle a marginalised and illiterate mother, who fought the case overcoming each obstacle to win the case and thus getting justice to not only her son, but also exposing the social imbalances, violence and violation of human rights.

Groundwork

A perfectionist to the core, Ananth Mahadevan did his groundwork pretty well. The first thing he did was to directly be in touch with Prabhavati Amma and buying the rights to the story. Then he approached the English poet and former Editor of Times of India, CP Surendran for scripting the story and writing dialogues. Both Ananth and CP Surendran flew down to Thiruvananthapuram and met her. They spent lot of time with her, interacting with her, knowing each and every turn of events during the course of the trial. Though the incident happened in Kerala, he changed the topography and chose a village in Maharashtra and decided to make the movie in Marathi context. Contrary to the few money minded and exploitative producers, Anand Mahadevan was very clear about one thing.

Instead of encashing on the lady’s misery, he rather wanted to salute her by paying encomiums in the form of this movie. What Anandh did was to stick to the real life story of her long legal battle, but changing the scene setting from the panoramic Kerala to the rural hinterland of Sangli in Maharashtra. In fact, the title of the film, Mai Ghat is a real destination in Sangli district on the banks of Krishna River. He also made requisite changes in the jobs the real life mother was doing to the more convincing profession of a washerwoman at the village of Mai Ghat. Her job is to wash the laundry given by the people in and around the village that includes uniforms of police.

Casting

The next major job for Ananth was to choose just the right actor to portray the powerful character of the determined mother who waged a protracted war against the wrong did by these policemen towards her innocent son. So, the portrayal of the single mother, Prabhavati Amma was quite cumbersome and he found a perfect fit in Usha Jadhav, who enacted the role of Prabha Mai. Also, Ananth kept the thread of how the lady’s son was rounded up. In the real life incident, the cops arrest her son leveling charges of theft.

Usha Jadhav in Marathi film, Mai Ghat, directed by Ananth Mahadevan.

After meeting he had with Prabhavati Amma, Anandh was convinced that she for one would never wilt under pressure, least of all, have bouts of emotional upheavals. Throughout his interview with the mother, she was never seen breaking down even once. So, he decided not to show Usha Jadhav too crying on screen.

The positive effect of that decision was writ large on Usha’s countenance and when the shoot got over, Ananth got the desired result of internalising the grief within the protagonist itself. There was always this risk of getting into melodrama element as the depth of the incident was such, nevertheless, Ananth did manage to camouflage the inevitable melodrama by the emphasis on the very basis that the mother had fought for her son, who was wronged by the administrative apparatus. Her innocence, honesty and her fight against travesty made the central character balance between melodrama and the determination of the protagonist to see that her case is vindicated.

Precedent

The precedent  is loud and clear. It is not just Prabha Mai’s son Nithin who is the first victim of custodial death. Hundreds of youths are rounded up like this across the country on frivolous charges and the yet to reform British Raj police resort to third degree measures to force the hapless victims to confess on the crimes which they did not do. Here in this case, Nithin is the only son of Prabha Mai and rightly so, she firms up her mind to such a level that she would fight till the finish to prove her son’s innocence.

Official announcement of GOI about the selection of Mai Ghat at the Indian Panorama section of the Cannes

When the story develops, the film portrays how the custodial death is affecting the family lives and also show different sort of impacts it has on individuals and their relationships with other members of the family. The movie also reveals that even upright people can end up being wronged, if they do not have the wherewithal to wage a long drawn out battle like what Prabhavati Amma has done. There are other ironical situations that has been portrayed in this film. Suresh, the friend of Nithin, is constantly on the run, unable to see his mother because he was forced to bear witness against the crime and if he said the truth the police would put him in trouble.

Contradictions

Ananth has also tried to delve deep into the contradictions of the characters of the real life incident. He learns from Padmavathi Amma that one of the police man was so fond of her daughter. Anant and CP Surendran were flabbergasted to learn that the cop on the one hand was true to his family and he was a loving father and an loyal husband, at the same time, ruthless to the core when it came to perpetrating atrocity on the youth. This apparent contradiction, Ananth has successfully been explored in this movie.

Caste Factor

Whatever progress we as a nation can boast about in terms of doing away with casteism, the ground reality is different. In this movie, how casteism rears its ugly head is being highlighted in no uncertain terms. The film exposes the hollowness of the policemen who could not act against those people involved in various crimes, if they happen to be from the upper castes. Ironically, the cop who ends the life of the youth in the custody, actually ends up killing the youth belonging to his own lower caste. Also, the movie highlights when the time moves at a steady or rather quick pace for others, how time was moving slow when it came to Prabha Mai. She had to wait 13 long years to get justice and in the meantime, the pages in the calendar was merely turning for her!

In addition to the high voltage acting of Usha Jadhav, other actors who have enacted in the movie too had done their jobs pretty well. For instance, the seasoned actors such as Suhasini Mulay, who dons the role of the lawyer, fighting the case as well as Girish Oak, who has done the character of the CBI lawyer had made the movie more intense.

How does he evaluate Mai Ghat? Ananth draws parallel to the classic Malayalam cinema, Piravi, directed by Shaji N Karun in the year 1989. Why? In that movie, it was an adaptation of yet another real life story, where an old man’s son was rounded up during the National Emergency and tortured to death in custody. The poor father waged a protracted war to know the fate of his son, who went missing. In Piravi, if the hapless father was yearning for his son to come back, in Mai Ghat, Prabha Mai fights for her deceased son, who was wronged. Although, years passed by between the first and second incidents, the custodial death crime continue to happen. In a way, Ananth has involuntarily following it as a treatise for this Marathi film, which has won laurels across the world.

The best part is that the now 69-year old Prabhavati Amma too joined the film crew to see the screening of the film at the International Film Festival of Kerala. After all, the cops killed her son for a mere Rs.4,200 theft case charged on him. In the decade old case, scores of mothers across the country prayed for the mother in order to get justice to her son.

Why Marathi? The reason was simple. Getting a producer for this real life incident in Kerala is between far and few. Ananth was convinced of this fact as he had earlier experienced the difficulty, when he was contemplating on making a flick on the famous ISRO spy case, Nambi Narayanan, he never got a producer. A detailed interview with the script writer of Mai Ghat, CP Surendran will be posted tomorrow. Do visit the website.

Friendship-Movie-Poster

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Harbhajan Singh starer multi-lingual movie Friendship First Look Poster launched

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The first look motion poster of the former Indian Cricketer, Harbhajan Singh starer multi-lingual movie, Friendship has been launched,

First Look Motion Poster of Multi-language movie, acted by Harbajan Singh released.

eliciting humongous response. Friendship is produced by JPR and Stalin under Sianto Studio is directed by the directorial duo, John Paul Raj and Sham Surya.

Losliya Mariyanesan, who shot into fame through the Actor Kamal Hassan led Bigg Boss Tamil Reality Show in the mini-screen is the heroine of Friendship.

Losliya Mariyanesan, who shot into fame through the Actor Kamal Hassan led Bigg Boss Tamil Reality Show in the mini-screen is the heroine, who was also the Anchor and Newscaster in Sri Lankan television channels. What is more, Action King, Arjun Sarja too plays an important role in Friendship.

Other than that, there are also few key stars from south Indian cinema acting in this movie, which will reach the screens in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi languages. Billed as a campus thriller movie, the motion poster of Friendship reflects chemical equations wrote on a blackboard, while the denouement shot depicts Harhbajan Singh with a cricket ball.

Harbhajan Singh makes film debut in multi-lingual movie, Friendship.

The former player, who was earlier playing for Mumbai Indians in the IPL Cricket Tournament, after joining the Chennai Super Kings, is in cloud nine. Excited to be playing for a south India based team, he even began tweeting posts in Tamil to the delight of many CSK fans. Added to that was his recently signing of contract with the production house of Friendship, his charm offensive knowing no bounds.

Action King Arjun Sarja is acting in multi-lingual movie, Friendship.

Rightly so, the Turbanator tweeted, when the first look poster of Friendship was released: “Amid the cry of thunder and lightning, here we set foot in the territory of Superstar, Thala, Thalapathy and Ulaganayagan…” meaning he too was joining the Tamil film dominated by Superstar (Rajinikant), Thala (Ajit), Thalapathy (Vijay) and Ulaganayagan (Kamal Hassan).

Tamil film industry is known for providing titles to the actors. Thala means head, Thalapathy means Commander, Ulaganayagan being Global Hero. C.K. Ajay Kumar of Friday Media Chennai is the PRO.

Vishal-Chakra

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Stills of Vishal Starer Tamil Cinema Chakra released

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The new stills of the Vishal starer Tamil cinema, Chakra has been released. The teaser of this action movie is getting ready. The shooting of this movie was almost completed, shot from locations such as Chennai and Coimbatore.

New Stills of Vishal starer Chakra released

When the shoot was entering the last phase, did the KOVID-19 Lockdown was announced, thus the project getting stuck and subsequently the shooting came to a grinding halt. Vishal and team are just waiting for the nod from the Government so that they will swing into action and complete the shooting without any further delay.

Vishal starer Tamil movie Chakra Stills released.

Chakra is produced by Vishal under Vishal Film Factory banner and directed by the debutant, M.S. Anand.

The Vishal starer Tamil film, Chakra Stills released.

The theme of Chakra is revolving around the tale of online fradulance. Shraddha Srinath is donning the character of a police officer, who is the protagonist of Chakra.

Vishal-Shraddha Srinath starer Tamil film Chakra stills released.

What is more, Rejina Casandre is portraying a pivotal character in this flick, while the star cast includes Robot Shankar, K.R. Vijay,

Stills of Tamil film, Chakra, stared by Vishal released.

Shrishti Dange, Manobala and Vijay Babu. Yuvan Shankar Raja has scored the music, while Balasubramaniam has handled the cinematography. C.K. Ajay Kumar, PRO of Friday Media Chennai is the PRO.

Padmarajan-Portrait

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Remembering Malayalam Filmmaker P Padmarajan on his 75th Birth Anniversary

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Novelist, film director, singer, story teller, screenplay writer, Editor..the list goes on. P Padmarajan, narrator and filmmaker was a magnificent presence in the cultural stage of Malayalees.

P. Padmarajan was a gifted storyteller, novelist, screenwriter, and director, who was endowed with so many unforgettable characters and story lines.
His short literary and film career spanning nearly three decades has included numerous short stories, more than thirty novels, short story collections, eighteen films in his own right, and twenty screenplays for other directors. In all respects, Padmarajan was a lightening glittering in the minds of Malayalee minds.

Padmarajan was born on May 23, 1945 in Muthukulam, Haripad in Alapuzha District. He was the sixth son of Thundathil Padmanabha Pillai and Navarakkal Devakiyamma. After completing his school education from Muthukulam, Padmarajan pursued his pre-university at the Mahatma Gandhi College, Thiruvananthapuram. Later, he completed BSc Chemistry from the Thiruvananthapuram University College. At the time of pursuing his postgraduation, Padmarajan learned Sanskrit from Chepad Achutha Warriar.

Announcer

Padmarajan’s foray into a job after his studies was with All India Radio, where he joined as an Announcer way back in 1965. Much later, when he was fully busy with the cinema industry, he took voluntary retirement from AIR in 1986.

Literary Contributions

Padmarajan’s first published work was the short story, “Lola Miss Ford,” the American Girl, published in the Malayalam Weekly, Kaumdi when he was still in college. It was in the ’60s that the nuances of modernity began to grow in the field of Malayalam storytelling and literature. Gradually his writings began to be noted in the literary world.
Since then, Padmarajan has published in excess of 120 short stories and about 10 short stories till the beginning of early ’90s, before he bid adiue to all of us. Padmarajan’s rise from short story write into the realm of novel writing.

In 1971, Padmarajan wrote his first novel, “Nakshathrangale Kaaval,” which was noted for its storytelling and writing style. In addition to critical acclaim, Padmarajan won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award and Kumkumam Award that year.

Later, Padmarajan published a slew of novesls such as Vaadakaikkoru Hridhayam, Ithaa Ivide Vare, Shavavaahanangalum Thedu, Kallan Pavithran, Udakappola, Manjukaalamnotta Kuthira, Prathimayum Raajakumaariyum, Ridhubedhangalude Paaridoshikam, Peruvazhiyambalam, Rathinirvedham and Jalajwaala, Nammude Sooryan, Onnum Rendum Moonu.

Foray into Celluloid World

Padmarajan’s foray into the Malayalam celluloid world was in 1975. The beginning of his cinema career was as a script writer, where he wrote the script for Director Bharathan’s movie, Pranayam in the same year.

As an art form, it stands between “parallel” and “commercial” films, which are made in the language of high-profile cinematic films and which emphasize the commercial elements behind the film, Malayali film industry marked the beginning of a cinema streak known as ‘Middle Cinema’ was from this movie, which was born out of the Bharathan-Padmarajan combo.

The excellence that is pronounced both in terms of the story line as well as and in terms of the creation of characters, along with the life-spontaneity of dialogues, such mediocre films, with their visual clarity, received active audience acceptance. In a sense, the Bharathan-Padmarajan team will be in the forefront of the filmmakers who have created a healthy new path in Malayalam cinema.
Their movies, in the past, in the presence and always evoke green nostalgia in the minds of the audience.

Directorial Debut

Padmarajan made his directorial debut in 1979, with the cinema adaptation of his own novel, Peruvazhiyambalam.”

The film has received critical acclaim and audience acceptance, demonstrating that the art and cinema of the film industry is safe in his hands. After that, Padmarajan directed an array of excellent movies such as Oridathoru Fayalvan, Kallan Pavithran, Novemberinte Nashtam, Koodevide, Prannu Parannu Parannu; Thingalaazcha Nalla Divasam, Namukku Paarkkaan Munthirithoppukal, Kariyilakaatupole, Arappattakettiya Graamathil, Deshadanakkili Karayaarilla, Nombarathipoovu, Thuvaanathumbikal, Aparan, Moonaampakkam, Season, Innale and Njaan Ghandarvan.

In addition to the awards he received for his novel, Nakshathrangale Kaaval, Padmarajan received the National Award for Best Film twice. In 1979, he received the National Award for his film Peruvazhiyambalam and in 1986, Padmarajan received the same award for his movie, Thingalaazcha Nalla Divasam.

Besides that, he has received several state awards, Film Critics Awards and Film Fans Awards. He had an unparalleled role in all the scenarios he had ever undertaken – storytelling, screenwriting or film making.


Examples of his insights and his life-consciousness are his explorations, his life-changing storytelling, and his natural flow of understanding as the story demands them.
He had a special ability to portray human relationships and their emotions in letters and frames in their intensity as well as criticality. In the case of his own life, however, he had to surrender to the brutal cruelty of fate, like the character of his last film, Gandharvan.

Ghandharvan, who gave us many stories, stories and films of sunshine that are still alive in our minds, went to his own Gandharvan world on January 24, 1991 at the age of forty-six.
Padmarajan married Ambat Radhalakshmi, who was his colleague in the AIR. The couple has two children – Anantha Padmanabhan and Madhavikutty. Anantha Padmanabhan is a storyteller, filmmaker and journalist like his father.
Madhavikutty is living in Bangalore after her marriage. Padmarajan will always remain an enigma in the minds of the Malayalam cine buffs for the generations to come.

 

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