His last films made you leave the theatre with a thoughtful smile on your face, but some were definitely missing the guffaws and hee-haws. Just when we thought Lal Jose has joined the league of filmmakers who consider comedy a lowly genre, the director is back with something he calls ‘a complete fun film’. “After my last three films I wanted to lay my hands on something funny and lighthearted. Pullipulikalum Aattinkuttiyum is a sort of return to the mood and format of my earlier films like Meesa Madhavan and Chandupottu. This is going to be a total fun ride and you better leave your brains back at home before entering the theatre,” he laughs.
Lal Jose says this time he has gone for a blend of comedy and sentiments, a concoction all viewers can relish. Though he insists the film is full of unalloyed fun, a mindless comedy is the last thing one would expect from Lal Jose and he says: “Being a comedy doesn’t mean its all slapstick and inane. I simply meant this one is not for the so-called intellectuals to tear apart and slaughter. They can always go watch Latin-American films fitting their taste. I have no tall claims, this is a simple story told in a simple style with the sole aim of entertainment,” he says.
The film pans its camera to the changing face of Kuttanad, the land of unending paddy fields and serpentine waterways, which is now a major location in Kerala’s tourist map. “Snake boats and country canoes have now given way to large houseboats, the foremost tourist attraction of the place. The hero of the film Chakkattutharayil Gopan, played by Kunchako Boban, is a houseboat owner. But Gopan, with his outlandish getup to impress the foreigners, hardly looks a typical villager.”
Gopan has three big brothers who spend all their time boozing and brawling. “They are absolute lazybones who doesn’t believe in working. As a sport they indulge in feuds and since most people are scared of the bullying trio, they try to settle the score with their sweet-tempered little brother,” he says.
The twist in the tale comes in the form of Kainakari Jayasree, a classical dancer played by Namitha Pramod. “Gopan appoints her as the in-house artist, giving performances for the tourists who hire his boat. He hopes to floor the foreigners with classical dance, but finds himself head over heels in love with her. The film is basically a humour-coated love story,” he says.
The film also marks his return to the rural backdrop and Lal Jose says the hardcore villager in him was more than happy to can the film at Kuttanad. But in the same breath he adds filming itself was no lesser adventure. “We shot in Kuttanad during the biggest flood in last forty years. Though it tested our tolerance level, we got mind-blowing visuals,” he says.
If Elsamma Enna Aankutty helped Kunchacko shed his lover-boy image, Pullipulikalum Aattinkuttiyum presents him in another all-new avatar. “It’s a through and through comedy role and Kunchacko has done a brilliant job,” he adds.
Another highlight is that, after a long interval, the film has S Kumar cranking the camera for Lal Jose. “We are back after a break and S Kumar has churned out beautiful frames for the film. S Kumar and Vidyasagar were with me when I made Meesamadhavan and we have once again joined hands for this film,” he says. The film, which also stars Shiju, Irshad, Joju, Harisree Asokan and Shammi Thilakan will hit the theatres next week.