THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, 29 September 2007 — A professor, a physician, a debutant director and an entire crew of new faces have come together to make a movie that has the film circles abuzz here.
The film, Oridathuoru Puzhayundu (somewhere there is a river), directed by popular scenarist Kalavoor Ravikumar, tells the tale of children who take up initiative to work against the exploitation of natural resources for commercial interests.
It also tells how large-scale displacement of people for huge factories and dams that made India’s rapid economic growth a reality has turned lives of local communities into hell. The film, which is slated to be released by January, was screened here last week for critics and journalists.
“This is my response to the mindless development that forces people to move out of their habitats. It’s about dying rivers and cultures,” said Ravikumar, who made his mark as a scriptwriter through box-office hits like Ishtam, Nammal, Manjupoloru Penkutti and Goal.
The theme revolves around eight-year-old Sumangala, whose family is forced to leave a Tamil Nadu village after commercial activities of a drinking water company cause drought.
The villagers are forced to lead nomadic life and they face all sorts of aggressions from the “civilized world.” Women face sexual assaults while men are ill treated and harassed everywhere they go.
But Sumangala strays into a colony in a Kerala city where she is taken care of by middle-class children living there without the knowledge of their parents. From her, the children realize how an entire village is hapless because of the over-exploitation of natural resources.
Soon children start a collection drive to help Sumangala dig a well in her own village. When the parents come to know of this, there is strong opposition to children’s plan but finally the youngsters teach the elders some lessons in social responsibility.
The film makes subtle references to Nandirgram and Singur, the West Bengal localities that saw clashes between the police and farmers protesting special economic zones, and Narmada basin where tribal people oppose a huge dam.
The film is dedicated to controversial tribal protesters engaged in a five-year stir against the Coke plant in Kerala’s Plachimada village, which is accused of depleting water tables and polluting environment. The film comes at a time when the relay sit-in at the factory premises enters 2000th day this month.
“This is a bold attempt at delving into the lives of people being dislocated into no man’s land and into the deserts of oblivion. The predicament of these hapless men, women and children has been portrayed brilliantly,” said Culture Minister M.A. Baby. “The children and all those behind the film have done a marvelous job.” The 100-minute long film shot in Thrissur and Thirunelveli was completed in 21 days at a shoestring budget of Rs3.5 million.
“I’m really pleased that after a two-year-long struggle, and combined effort of all, the film has come out really good. What is over is just half the work because films like these find it difficult to get in the audience,” said Ravikumar.
He said he plans to screen the film in every school in Kerala to spread the message that “severity to environs might turn you into nomads unless you take concerted efforts against exploitation of natural resources.” “I never felt like making flicks and I know scriptwriting remains my forte. But then producer T.B. Reghunath, a traditional Ayurveda physician and his friend Jiju Ashokan, the scriptwriter, approached me with the theme saying they wanted to do something for the society. Reghunath told me he don’t care even if the film flops at the box-office,” said Ravikumar, journalist-turned-scriptwriter-turned-filmmaker.
A professor of medicine from the Kozhikode Medical College, Dr. Mohammed Shakeel, has composed the music and also sung two songs.
Lead pair of eight-year-old Sumangala and 10-year-old Sandeep said that they were delighted that they got an opportunity to act. Barring Jenny, sister of accomplished Malayalam film actors Meera Jasmine, practically everyone, from the crew to the cast, are new faces. Journalist and TV presenter K.B. Venu stars opposite to Jenny.
“A film primarily for the children, it’s also based on politics of industrialization and globalization and its victims,” the filmmaker said.
“I’m glad that this has turned out to be a launch pad for all these fresh talents. Besides the actors, Asokan, Dr. Shakeel (who is an accomplished gazal singer) and cinematographer S.G. Raman have all signed for their next film,” Ravikumar said while speaking to reporters at the Press Club here after the premiere show.
The child actors were selected after a screen test. ‘’Children from Kannur to Thiruvananthapuram have acted in this film. Many people advised me to cast established child artists. But I wanted to cast fresh talents who perfectly suited my characters,’’ Ravikumar said.
