Lord Livingstone 7000 Kandi, Anil Radhakrishnan Menon’s latest, has been in the news for its quirky title. Now, adding to the appeal, is a book that extensively records the making process of the film progressing in Idukki. The book authored by writer and mediaperson T Arunkumar delves into all creative and technical aspects that make the film. “Not all kinds of films can inspire a book. But Lord Livingstone 7000 Kandi has a very different setting and treatment. The film may be praised for its excellence in craft when released. But I am trying to document how such a film gets materialised from a stack of papers,” says the author.
The book recounts in detail how the film progressed from concept to script and finally production. “Lord Livingstone falls to the category of films that call for a very difficult production process. The film has elements of fantasy and the storyline demands a very specific setting,” he says
The film, which explores an eco-related theme, stars Kunchako Boban and Reenu Mathews among an ensemble cast. “The entire action takes place inside a mysterious forest. There are caves, ancient weapons, musical instruments and forest creatures. The team worked for Life of Pi is in charge of the graphics section,” he adds. e says art, make-up and costume sections had a real challenge as the backdrop and some of the characters are far from ordinary. “Though the title makes you think it’s a period film Lord Livingstone is completely a work of fiction,” he says. The author adds he has been following the crew since filming started so that he doesn’t miss out on anything. “I have been communicating with all the technicians to get the details correct.”
The book chronicles the development of the film from the very beginning. “It was not conceived as a story. What came first was the character of Reenu Mathews. Rest of the story and all other characters evolved slowly. The book explains how each character was developed and why certain situations and incidents were included in the script,” he says.
The book published by Green Books will be released one week prior to the release of the film.