It speaks a lot about a director when his films get mileage more from word of the mouth than through the usual PR machinery. Director Ranjith’s Pranchiyettan & the Saint (2010) was a slow starter that gained momentum at the box office, a few weeks after its release.
The story of a Thrissur based rice merchant Pranchiyettan (played with elan by Mammootty) has a native charm with his Thrissur slang. Three years and several films later Ranjith has again teamed up with Mammootty in their next offing Kadal Kadannoru Mathukutty. The movie is through the eyes of Mathukutty whose heart is firmly rooted in Kerala, but lives in Germany. And like Pranchiyettan & the Saint, the protagonist in Kadal Kadannoru Mathukutty wins you over with his honesty and integrity.
“There is a special warmth that Germans generate, besides they take immense pride in their culture and country. The German Malayalis are a secure lot and are concerned about the political scene back home. But they don’t want to come back to Kerala,” says the director, whose film pans the life of Mathukutty, who moves to Germany with his wife.
The movie chronicles the days when he is sent back to Kottayam by the German Malayalis to accomplish a special task. “Mathukutty is illiterate whose heart is still in Kerala. Though not deliberate, we give a relevant social message through him. On on his short visit to Kottayam he is disgusted with the socio-political scene and the corruption prevalent in his state,” says Ranjith, whose tryst with Germany began in 1996, when he fell in love with the country’s monuments, architecture and music. It was during his second visit that the country appealed to the writer in him. “I am someone who carries a story with me for a long time. The scripting process comes much later. In fact I write the script mostly on the sets and it is something I won’t recommend to the younger generation,” laughs Ranjith.
Ranjith, who had casted Mammootty in last year’s Bavuttiyude Namathil says, “Mammootty was the first choice for Mathukutty’s role. It was written keeping him in mind and his performance will be a revelation.” Actor-director-writer Balachandra Menon plays a significant role along with Nedumudi Venu, Siddique and Harishree Asokan.
Regarding the female actors, Ranjith is betting his money on Muthumani (essaying the role of Mammootty’s wife) who he assures will be a surprise package along with newcomer Alisha Muhammad.
The movie is already in the news for another reason. Reportedly, the satellite rights has been bought for a dream price of `5.75 crore. The movie release date is a matter of contention between the producers, Mammooty and the director. While the director wants to release it on the scheduled Ramzan date, the producer (megastar Prithviraj) is hoping to push it for a week as he does not want it to clash with Dulquer Salman’s Ramzan release. The movie is slated to be released on August 9. Meanwhile, we are hoping for our money’s worth.