KOCHI: Tatvamasi is a term straight out of Hindu spirituality meaning ‘you are that’. Inspired by this profound philosophy is V P Ramachandran’s 28-minute short film Irachikozhikal.
“It’s a film against destroying life in any form,” says Jayaraj K, who has produced and played the lead character in Irachikozhikal.
The film chronicles the life of Damodaran, a goverment employee and a complete family man. “On a hartal day he goes to a poultry shop to buy chicken.
He is aware of the fact that his order will cost the life of one or more birds. He stands there watching the birds getting killed and later returns home with the package. While waiting there, he contemplates on a number of subjects and later begins a conversation with the dead chicken,” he adds.
The film also explores how hartals disrupt public life and how some people use it as a mode to control and exploit others. It shows how hartal supporters behave in a total unruly manner, roaming around and threatening the public.
Damodaran reaches a meeting at the junction where the mob suddenly turns violent and in the ensuing ruckus he gets killed. “The man, who witnessed the death of the chicken, is dead now. The film conveys the message that whenever you destroy something you are answerable to god.
Death can come at any moment in any form,” says Jayaraj. The film has its story, script and dialogues penned by V P Manoharan while Kalliyoor Jayachandran cranks the camera. You can watch Irachikozhikal on youtube.