KOCHI: Afeature film crafted on the life of social reformer Sree Narayana Guru has earned a place in the Guinness Book of Records. Titled Vishwaguru, the 98 minutes and 15 seconds long movie is the debut work by director Vijeesh Mani. Fashioned out in 51 hours and 2 minutes, Vishwaguru has edged out a Srilankan film Mangala Gamana and has set a Guinness World Record for being the fastest movie ever produced from script to screen.The makers of the film are currently savouring the success of having executed a full-length feature film within such a short span thereby catapulting the state and the nation into the global arena. “The story of Narayana Guru is unparalleled.
It is the most enigmatic stories that any Keralaite can recount and hence we chose it. Our aim is to ensure a Malayalam movie makes its mark in the global arena. Further, this was also our attempt to celebrate the medium at a time when Malayalam cinema is celebrating 90 years,” said Vijeesh Mani, who has the experience of producing seven films in the past.The movie is also an attempt by the makers to reaffirm that with proper planning, movie making can be completed within a short time frame without unnecessary delays. This is the first foray of Vijeesh Mani into the director’s seat.
Shot largely on the premises of Sivagiri Math, the film narrates the life of Narayana Guru. The script was by Pramod Payyannur and the team had to document the processes involved in the filmmaking starting the scripting stage for the Guinness record. A large percentage of the actors were theatre artists and the crew and cast could be roped in only after the scripting process began. “So mainly those artists within the 50-km radius of the Math were chosen for the roles. And in some cases, the actors had to be even changed as they weren’t available on short notice,” says the director.
“The scripting took around three hours and the help of Satchidananda Swami was sought to ensure factual accuracy. There was ample help from those at the Math and the whole crew worked as one unit which was integral to the successful completion of the movie.”The movie was screened at the Nila Theatre in Thiruvananthapuram at 11.30 am on December 29, 2017. The movie achieved a landmark feat by completing its title registration, post-production works, poster designing and publicity, censorship within this brief time frame. The film was produced by A V Anoop who is also a stage artist.
The film’s cast includes Purushothaman Kainakkara, Gandhiyan, Chacha Sivaraman, Kaladharan, Kalanilayam Ramachandran, Harikrishnan, K P A C Leelakrishnan, Roji P, Kurian, Shejin, Baby Pavitra, Master Sharan. The makeup was by Pattanam Rasheed while Indrans Jayan was the costume designer. The background music for the movie was by Kilimanoor Ramavarma, while the art was by Arkan. On-the-spot editing also followed; editing and dubbing were done at the Winva studio. Libin edited the movie for which Loganathan Srinivasan did the cinematography.