KOCHI: There was a time when Idukki, Ottapalam, Palakkad, Thodupuzha and Ernakulam were among the most frequented spots for Malayalam film crews. A couple of years ago, though, filmmakers started to train their lens towards Malabar. Several hits have been shot in the region, with notable examples such as Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum, Sudani from Nigeria, Kakshi: Amminipilla, and Love Action Drama.
Industry insiders predicted then that the number would increase in the subsequent years. That’s slowly coming true. Interestingly, one location in the region has found more concentrated attention: Kasaragod.
The area was featured prominently in Dileesh Pothan’s Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum. Thinkalazhcha Nishchayam and Nna Thaan Case Kodu followed.
More are on the way two Tovino Thomas films, Ajayante Randam Moshanam and Adrishya Jalakangal, Aishwarya Lekshmi’s Kumari, and Senna’s 1744 White Alto. We speak to some filmmakers who have shot in Kasaragod to gain insight into the region’s appeal.
Director Senna Hegde, a Kasaragod native whose films come with the ‘Made in Kanhagad’ label, acknowledges the presence of the trend. “Whenever I’m out, I spot a couple of film caravans on the way,” he says.
Did his Thinkalazhcha Nishchayam trigger the wave? “I don’t know, but the timeline definitely suggests that. It could be a coincidence,” says Senna. Nna Thaan Case Kodu director Ratheesh Balakrishnan Poduval echoes the latter sentiment. “I feel this sudden convergence of many filmmakers in Kasaragod is because of concurrent searches,” he says.
“It’s like how we see films in a particular genre coming out at the same time. Maybe, the projects were decided long ago. It may not necessarily be because one film made there became a hit. It could be a matter of looking for a hitherto less explored location.”
Casting director and actor Rajesh Madhavan, known for his work on Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum, Thinkalazhcha Nishchayam, and Nna Thaan Case Kodu, believes that the popularity of the films mentioned above has certainly been a contributing factor to Kasaragod getting more attention than it used to before.
Unexplored terrain, visual appeal
Kasaragod’s unique geography is one of the key factors, notes Ratheesh. “When people tire of locations like Idukki, the attention naturally shifts to a fresh one. Some scripts demand certain locations; that then becomes a basic criterion for location scouting.”
Even Senna, despite his Kanghagad roots, is yet to discover many parts of it. “I’m yet to set foot in these little towns in and around Kanhagad and Kasaragod. I’ve only begun to explore them,” he says. “The times are exciting for Kasaragod and northern Kannur natives. I hope nobody gets exploited. I hope this place isn’t overused and doesn’t bore the audience. I hope there is a balance.”
Sreeraj Raveendran, the cinematographer of Thinkalazhcha Nishchayam, finds Kasaragod stimulating because it’s a “big film city” that offers plenty of variety — sea, villages, towns, and hilly areas... “The combination of red brick (architecture) and green and yellow (dried) grass adds to the aesthetic appeal,” he says. “At times, the burnt grass in certain areas gives the landscape a surreal, monochrome-ish look. Kasaragod is a place of contrasts, which one can’t find in other parts of Kerala. The same can be said of Kannur to a certain extent, too.”
Nirmal Sahadev, director of Kumari, shares that he found in Kannur and Kasaragod the particular look he wanted for his period horror mystery. “It was essential because we needed to show a starkly contrasting topography — greenery on one side and the barren lands on the other,” he says.
Debutant Jithin Lal, directing Tovino in Ajayante Randam Moshanam, sought the post-rain Kasaragod for his fantasy adventure. “It looks the most beautiful at that time,” he says. “Apart from that, we also see migratory birds, rocky terrain, springs, and some interesting flora and fauna, all of which can lend a rich texture to our film. Remember G Aravindan’s Kummatty? It was also a fantasy film shot there.”
Jithin also notes how the look of the place keeps changing every two months, especially after it rains.
While on rains, Senna makes a witty remark: “Someone recently mentioned that if Kasaragod gets the same amount of rain as the southern districts, there would hardly be any flood-like situation. Of course, the low-lying areas and the areas adjacent to the river get affected a little bit, but there would be no panic or chaos like in other areas of Kerala. The reason is simple: We don’t have dams. Why? Because nobody gave a damn!”
Warm hospitality
Senna likes to shoot in north Malabar as he finds the place more friendly than the rest of Kerala. “People mind their own business. They respect boundaries. At least, that’s what my experience has been,” he says. Nna Thaan Case Kodu editor Manoj Kannoth concurs. “The people over there are more cooperative than folks in Ernakulam, Alappuzha or Idukki,” he says, adding an anecdote about Kunchacko Boban’s positive experience while shooting the ‘Devadoothar’ song.
“The locals were very active,” he says. “On a two-day shoot, they would ensure continuity by wearing the same clothes the next day. They would also arrive on set the next day at the same time as they did the previous day. Perhaps it’s the speciality of people from Kannur and Kasaragod.”
The same level of support, Manoj says, was also extended by the regional political parties. “Whenever there is a shoot in the area, the locals conjure up a festival-like atmosphere without causing any disturbance to others,” he says.
“It’s like going to a theyyam performance or something. After a few days, you’ll see people selling kappalandi mittai and salted mango. It’s a pleasant vibe. The northern hospitality is so different from that of the south.”
However, Ratheesh thinks the experience could depend on the filmmaker and the area. “People are not necessarily cooperative everywhere. We only find out whether a location is amiable or not after we get there. But when talking about Kasaragod as a whole, the hospitality could be because people there were not exposed to cinema as much as other places,” he says.
“So, naturally, people would tend to be more curious, right? The other reason for a less intrusive experience for both parties, I feel, is because the areas are relatively less populated, and the presence of a film crew doesn’t interfere with their daily activities. For example, in the areas we shot Nna Thaan Case Kodu, the number of houses was few, and that facilitated a hassle-free experience.”
Budget-friendly?
One other reason is it’s not too heavy on the pocket, owing to the novelty factor. “Right now, it’s budget-friendly, yes, but I think that will slowly change once the place becomes as overexposed as Idukki or Thodupuzha,” says Senna.
“I’m sure they were also budget-friendly when shooting the first couple of films. Later, when there was a huge influx, charges started rising as they knew well that we needed them more than they needed us.”
However, it’s not smooth sailing for all film crews. Nirmal, for one, points out the challenges which arise when transporting special filmmaking equipment.
“What a lot of productions don’t factor in is that Kochi has been a major source of equipment. So if you need a piece of special equipment such as a wind or rain machine, you are out of luck because you have to get them from Kochi by paying the extra travel expenses. Or, you have to pick it up from a production happening nearby,” he explains.
“The only way to circumvent that problem is by setting up an equipment rental house between Kochi and Kasaragod. It can open up space for more productions to materialise in that region.”
Ratheesh, too, cites this issue and says if things are not well-planned, the expenditure would shoot up. Jithin, who is mounting his film on a big canvas, feels that while low-budget independent films can benefit from the area, one cannot say the same for a project with lofty aspirations.
Diversity in content
The other notable aspect of most of the films coming from the Malabar belt is the diverse content, with stories gradually moving away from the typical upper-class settings that dominated Malayalam films at one point, and focusing on stories that address caste and class differences. Manoj thinks it has to do with filmmakers hailing from the region, such as Ratheesh, Senna, Zakariya and Muhsin Parari, who write about the milieus with which they are familiar. “Their arrival introduced us to fresh sensibilities,” says Manoj. “The only anomaly here is a non-Malabar native, Dileesh Pothan, who shot Thondimuthalum in Kasaragod because he found the place apt for his subject. These filmmakers’ gaze is not superficial. We instantly connect to their characters and settings because we have seen them around us.”