It’s time for another shock-and-awe ride after Traffic. A mind-twisting thriller with an impressive cast, that’s Rajesh Pillai’s Vettah on outset. But the film, starring Manju Warrier and Kunchacko Boban in the lead, is much more than what it appears to be. “It’s a play of perspectives that forms the crux of Vettah and the basic premise is inspired by a real-life incident,” says the director.
A psycho-thriller high on emotional quotient, Vettah is woven around the life of Bala, an IPS officer posted in Kochi as the City Police Commissioner. Women cops are often boiled down to larger-than-life icons on screen, but Bala is not an action queen who indulges in gravity-defying stunts and daredevil adventures, says Rajesh. “Bala is a realistic character, not the overly-bold screen cop you are familiar with. She is not a woman in khaki with ever-violent impulses,” he adds.
He says the commissioner in Vettah is modelled on some spirited and inspiring women cops around us. “I think officers like Sandhya IPS, Sreelekha IPS and Nishantini IPS are true motivators when it comes to empowering women. Bala has shades of them, she is someone who balances her professional and personal lives. She doesn’t quite fit into the format of the tough and aggressive female officer,” he says.
Though a crime forms the core of its narrative, Vettah is not the usual cat-and-mouse tale. “It’s basically a mind game involving three characters. The film doesn’t have a hero or heroine, but a handful of characters only. You will not find any cliches like serial killings or casual action. There is a total of eight key characters in the film and in a sense the storyline unravels the thematic link between them,” he says.
Another USP of the film will be it’s briskness, adds Rajesh. “Vettah is a fast-paced narrative, completely in tune with its subject.” While Bhama steps into another key role, Vijayaraghavan, Deepak, Midhun Ramesh, Prem Prakash, Dr Rony, Santosh Krishna, Irshad, Dr Uma and Baby Nandana are also part of the cast. “Along with Manju and Kunchacko, there is third equally important character, but we haven’t zeroed in on an actor yet,” he adds. The film, jointly produced by A V Anoop and Rajesh Pillai, will start rolling in October.