Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Going mainstream with parallel cinema

Thiruvananthapuram: An attempt to transcend the barrier between commercial and parallel cinema without compromising the quality of the film — that is how award-winning director M.G. Sasi describes his debut film ‘Adayalangal.’

Talking to reporters at a face-to-face programme organised by Trivandrum Press Club here on Saturday, Mr. Sasi said that he was happy that the film was being received well at the theatres despite having the “award film” label.

‘Adayalangal,’ which won the 2007 State Film Award for best feature film, has been released at 27 centres in the State. The film also fetched M.G. Sasi the best director award.

“This film is our ‘onakkazcha’ to Malayalis across the world,” Mr. Sasi said. “‘Adayalangal’ is a film which tells a simple story without any intellectual pretensions. We are hoping to create a new trend in Malayalam cinema with this film.”

‘Adayalangal’ is based on the life and works of noted Malayalam writer Nandanar. Debutant Govind Padmasurya plays the protagonist Gopi, a soldier, who has close similarities with Nandanar, who was forced to join the army during his youth.

Padmasurya is cast opposite actor Jyothirmayi in the film. ‘Adayalangal’ is produced by Aravind Venugopal under the banner of Valluvanadan Talkies. Mr. Venugopal and Mr. Padmasurya were also present at the programme.

“Although it is a period film centred in the 1940s, the message of the film is still relevant today, especially for the Malayali youth. ‘Adayalangal’ is a film that addresses the concerns of a typical Malayali youth who still has to emigrate from his homeland to make a decent living. This is also a woman-centric film in which we have strong, liberated women characters,” said Mr. Sasi, who is also a noted documentary film-maker.

He added that the film was a tribute to Nandanar who, despite being a highly talented writer, committed suicide in the prime of his life. “We have also tried to explore through this film why exceptional creative talents like Nandanar choose to end their lives so abruptly,” Mr. Sasi said.

Govind Padmasurya said that ‘Adayalangal’ was the perfect launch pad for him in the Malayalam filmdom.

“I don’t believe that Adayalangal is not a commercial film. Even though it is not a ‘mainstream’ film, I think it has been a prefect launch pad for me as the film has immense scope for acting with its gripping emotional scenes. Also, it has been a blessing to work with artists like Mr. M.G. Sasi right in my first film,” he said.

Talking about the State award, Mr. Sasi said that the award came as a pleasant surprise.

“The directors who were competing with me in the category were my seniors with whom I have associated many times in my career and who are all eminent personalities in the Malayalam film industry. However, I did not mean to compete with or challenge them through the award, even though I believed that my film to be deserving enough,” said Mr. Sasi.

He added that the entry of major players like Reliance into film production should be viewed as a positive trend. “What is important is how we make use of them when they make huge investments in our films. If we can maintain the quality and essence of our films, there is no harm in collaborating with such major players,” Mr. Sasi said.

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