Life has a way of throwing curve balls at the most unexpected juncture, as shown in the tale of two lovers from different religions in filmmaker Shanavas K Bavakutty’s Kismath. The tragic tale, inspired by a real-life incident, prompted him to make his maiden feature film, which went on to win the Kerala State Film Award for the best debut director in 2016. Shanavas is ready with his next, Thottappan, which depicts the affection between a girl and her godparent.
As Thottapan gets ready for release this Ramzan, Shanavas talks to Friday Review about his movies and its relevance. Edited excerpts:
What isThottappanabout?
Thottappan is the short form of ‘Thala thottappan’ or godfather. The film revolves around the relationship between a godfather and his godchild. One does not have to be a biological parent to develop paternal feelings towards a child. Vinayakan plays a loving godparent to his friend’s daughter, Sara, a.k.a. Kunjaadu, in the film. Priyamvada, Dileesh Pothen, Roshan Mathew, Lal and Raghunath Paleri are in the cast.
On adapting writer Francis Noronha’s story of the same title
My version can be called an independent adaptation. It has been done with the author’s consent. PS Rafeeque, scenarist of Amen , has written the screenplay. We have taken three characters from the story and have set them in a small island in Kochi. We have shot the sequences mainly at Kadamakkudy, near Vypeen.
Vinayakan plays the title role...
Vinayakan was the one who came to mind for the role when I read the story. This character is unlike any role he has played till now and he has taken the character to a different level altogether .
Your earlier film, Kismath , was based on a real-life incident...
I was a political activist in the area where the incidents narrated in Kismath happened. As I was a witness to it all , it wasn’t difficult for me to write Kismath . And while I have presented a fictionalised account on screen, I have retained the essence of the plot.
Do you feel that unlike other regional film industries in India, Mollywood is often reluctant to handle serious issues?
Cinema is both a money-making business and a great medium to convey one’s beliefs and passion. For me, cinema is an opportunity to talk about my convictions. I am not saying that cinema can make a difference in the people around me. It can point out certain things and that’s about it. Like, Kismath, for instance. It didn’t make much of a change in our society’s mindset in accepting inter-caste marriages, for example. There are more movies with social and political content coming from languages like Marathi, Kannada and Tamil, of late. I do, however, believe that there is space for such attempts in Mollywood as well.
Does following a certain political ideology limit the possibilities of a filmmaker?
Never. The political ideology that I follow may inspire my thoughts, but the movies I make are inspired by my reaction to happenings around me. I have never used the medium to popularise my ideology.
How tough is it to market a film without so-called mainstream stars in the cast?
There are hurdles, but it is heartening to see that viewers are ready to accept genuine efforts by filmmakers to make a good movie. I am confident that good content will be accepted regardless of the stars or the technicians working in the film.
You were a rank outsider with no prior experience but you won critical acclaim and acceptance at the box-office with your maiden venture. It must have been a memorable debut.
I learnt filmmaking through watching a lot of films. My movies are from the heart.
What next?
I am planning a film with Biju Menon in the lead.
