Farook Abdul Rahiman feels on top of the world, thanks to the rousing reception that his film ‘Kaliyachan’ received at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) here.
"After overcoming many hurdles, my film has finally been screened here in the competition section and I am overwhelmed by the phenomenal response it has received,’’ Farook said at the ‘Meet The Press’ programme on Tuesday.
"Even lead actor Manoj K Jayan had seen the film only when it was screened here,’’ he said.
It took a decade for Rahiman to fulfill his dream of converting his ideas into a film. Inspired from a poem by P Kunhiraman Nair with the same name, the film revolves around a Kathakali artist and his egoistic turnarounds. Even after winning the national awards this year and three state awards the previous year, the film could get its first public screening only at the ongoing IFFK.
As a die-hard fan of P Kunhiraman Nair, Rahiman was initially very keen on making a film on the poet’s life. However, the theme was later changed to one depicting the relationship between a Guru and his disciple as a movie on the poet’s life had already been made. Finally, with the help of National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), Farook fulfilled his dream.
"I was pained at the fact that the film didn’t get any distributors so far. However, after this screening, I am getting calls from a few of them,"Farook added.
Marathi director Nagaraj Manjule, who was also present along with Farook, spoke about his film ‘Fandry’ screened in the ‘Top Angle’ section. "My life and experiences form a integral part of my film and I am happy that the movie hall was jam-packed during the screening," Manjule said. ‘Fandry’ has already won the Grand Jury award in the recently-concluded Mumbai International Film Festival.