KOCHI: In a unique union of a policeman, teacher and a priest, a solo-actor Sanskrit film Ekaki has blossomed. The three are senior civil police officer Prasad Parappuram and his companions Fr John Puthuva, a priest in Australia, and Ayyampuzha Harikumar, a school teacher.
The film, said to be the first solo-actor one in Sanskrit, presents the story of an artist — Thirunarayanapuram Vasudevan — and his journey to spirituality through his tumultuous personal life, troubled due to his immense commitment to art.
The film, going forward through the vision of Shankaracharya, advocates the message that suicide is not a solution to one’s woes
The film is jointly written and directed by the trio. Dramatist Suresh Kalady plays the sole character Vasudevan in the film.
“Our primary aim is to sustain the language and culture the movie represents,” says Prasad. “The Sanskrit language that was once popular is now endangered. The film is a product of long-time discussions and commitment. What makes this unique is that we could make this possible, from the entirely different backgrounds we represent,”
Prasad, who is the subeditor of police association magazine Kaval Kairali, has written scripts for three films (Two-Men Army, Laughter Apartment, and Two Days) and has directed more than 300 documentary episodes.
Fr John Puthuva is also a writer who has authored more than 10 books. Harikumar, who is a teacher at St Theresa’s High School Manappuram in Cherthala, serves as the chief of the Samprathi Vartah online portal. He has also presented several programmes for Akashavani.