KOCHI: Brahmapuram, a land sandwiched between two rivers. This green and serene space was once filled with rows and rows of paddy in varied golden hues. Now, this nearly 110-acre land is home to acrid stench, toxic fumes, and tonnes and tonnes of garbage.
Anil Thomas’ latest directorial venture, Ithuvare, which is slated to hit theatres in March, talks about the transformation of Brahmapuram — the plant, the land, its people and their struggles.
“My first tryst with Brahmapuram was in 2016. I had then just moved to Kochi. On my way to cricket matches near Rajagiri Valley in Kakkanad, I often ran into this inescapable stench. I wondered about its origin. It was a friend who told me that it was from the other side of our ground. From the infamous Brahmapuram plant,” Anil recalls.
It got Anil to dig a little deeper, research more about the plant and the two rivers that envelop it — Chitrapuzha and Kadambrayar. “During the Covid period, I finished a script of the movie that I had envisioned on the topic,” he says.
Later, in 2023, during the film’s shooting, Anil learned the terrible news that the Brahmapuram plant had caught fire.
“That was a huge coincidence. We were shooting in Kanthalloor at the time. And on the third day, TV channels and newspapers were filled with reports of the massive fire,” Anil says.
Even a year after the fire, the problems that plague Brahmapuram remain unresolved. “The film is coming out at the right time,” he adds.
Though many believe the movie to be about the 2023 fire and its aftermath, Anil’s frames take us back to 2007, when the high court gave the government permission to set up a waste treatment plant at Brahmapuram.
“What followed was a story of a lost struggle. Families who couldn’t survive amid the garbage fill had to move out when their protests turned vain. Ithuvare tells their their story,” Anil says.
Kalabhavan Shajon is the protagonist of the movie. He plays the role of a resident who fights for the health and survival of his family and neighbours.
“There is a politics in the movie and it poses these questions: why did these people fail? And what happened at Brahmapuram subsequently? Who is responsible?” Anil says. He adds that society is also not without blame.
Brahmapuram is just five kilometres away from Infopark, a few kilometres away from Vyttila and in close proximity to the cosmopolitan Kochi city. Why is the society not concerned about what’s happening in Brahmapuram even now, the director asks.
“The movie will be released on March 8 as another summer approaches. Brahmapuram may catch fire again, thanks to the mountains of garbage here,” Anil warns.
In addition to shedding light on environmental concerns stemming from the unceasing march of development, the film also brings forth the resilience of people.
Since its premier at the Kolkata International Film Festival, Ithuvare has gone on to win awards at Karnataka and Dubai film festivals for the best environment-related cinema.