In the vast expanses of pristine land at Wayanad, resides one of the oldest tribes in the state, the Kurichya. They, who lived in joint family clusters, practised paddy farming as their occupation. But, with the advent of Green Revolution in 1960s, the kurichya way of ecosystem-based land governance and sustainable farming system dwindled.
Chronicling the spate of the present Kurichya tribe through the life of Daarappan is upcoming film ‘Negalukal’. Helmed by State Award-winning director Avira Rebecca, ‘Negalukal’ is his third outing after ‘Thakarachenda’ and ‘Pigman’.
On the rather unusual and interesting title, he says: “Kurichya tribe call their ancestors ‘Negal’ and through the ritual ‘Negalukal’, an oracle prophesies the day which is apt to sow paddy seeds. The tribe during the hey days were the largest paddy cultivators of the land. In India, there were around 1,40,000 rice seed varieties and Kerala alone had 4000. But, now in the state, only below 100 seed varieties are to be found,” says Avira Rebecca, who has also penned the script.
‘Negalukal’ revolves around a 60-year-old kurichya, Daarappan, who is facing a dire financial situation in his life. Manoj K Jayan, who always experiments with his characters, will be seen portraying the role of Daarappan in the movie.
“Manoj’s character has shades of eccentricity in him. He is depressed and blames himself for not being able to continue with his traditional occupation. He doesn’t have money and also can’t apply for an agricultural loan as he doesn’t own a piece of land,” says the director.
In his dreams, he sees his ancestors accusing him for his inability. Daarappan is one of the few farmer who preserves some rare variety of paddy seeds. “He is a ethical person and without taking any money, he gives the seeds to whoever seeks it,” says the director.
Apart from the turmoil of Daarappan, the director also sheds light on the disadvantages of the pesticide-bound farming methods and the new generation which considers farming a shoddy affair.
Sreenivasan, a scientist, also plays a prominent role in the film. “He is the representation of famous scientist Subhash Palekar in the movie,” he says. Chandini - who essayed P K Rosy, the first heroine of Malayalam cinema, in Celluloid - also comes in a pivotal role. “She is the daughter of Daarappan, married and separated with a kid, who lives with him,” adds Avira Rebecca.
The make up wis being done by Pattanam Rasheed, costume by Kumar Edappal and music is composed by Haris Chandran. The movie is expected to release by next month.