We have lovers meeting up at coffee shops, bus stations and park, but what about near a water tap? That's is exactly how Govutty and Teena's love blossoms. And, not just them, many more have found love around the pipe in an island strip near Kochi and debutant Domin Silva's Paippinchuvattile Pranayam is their story. As the movie, starring Neeraj Madhav and Reba Monica John, hits the screens this week, Domin gets chatty about his movie and how he intends to connect water with love.
The politics of water
Domin says his initial feeling was disbelief when he saw how an entire household in an island would converge around a water pipe, where they would engage in gossiping. "Such sessions happen on an island in Ernakulam. I met a couple who met during their daily chore to collect water. They told me how they would spend time together while waiting for the water tap to come alive. I decided to use that for my movie," says Domin. Aptly, Paippinchuvattile Pranayam has water playing a huge role in it. "The politics around water has a lot of relevance here. This movie discusses it, but with a comic flavour," he adds.
Neeraj and Reba
The protagonist in Paippinchuvattile Pranayam needed someone very ordinary. "My hero was a daily wage labourer, a painter who goes for dance programmes. He doesn't need to fit into the superhero mould. I knew Neeraj Madhav could play him well. He has done a great job as well," says Domin. As for Reba Monica John, the director says her character is a very chirpy and rustic one, but one who lives on the fringes of urban Kochi. "She isn't your typical rural girl. She has the hang of the urban life," says Domin. The movie also deals with two other love stories.
Surprises in store
While Paippinchuvattile Pranayam might be a lot about love, there is a very strong thread that tackles a very serious topic. "I would call this infotainment. A very relevant issue is presented in the garb of a comedy. There are a few surprises in store as well, like a new song. For Domin, the movie itself was a very risky effort, considering that most sequences were shot around water bodies. "There is a very important sequence where Govutty gifts Teena something. To shoot this portion, we had a crane and a boat, but then it began to rain heavily. The boat in which we were sitting began to float away. We were very terrified," remembers Domin. The movie that has Sudhi Koppa, Dharmajan Bolgatty and Rishi Kumar in lead roles will hit the screens this week.