In an industry where the woman protagonists often find their worlds imagined and defined by male writers, Julaina Ashraf stands out. She joins the small yet powerful league of women scriptwriters in Malayalam cinema with her first offering, Marupadi.
A film with an intense plot, Julaina describes it as a narrative that looks at the struggles and ensuing helplessness of women within their social premise. “That, and the inhuman harassment meted out to women inmates serving their sentence in jails. I’m weaving a story around a teenage girl and her mother. The extent to which a mother can go to protect her child is of prime importance in the film,” she says.
Actress Bhama plays the mother to a teenager essayed by baby Nayathara. She’s Sara, a lawyer by profession who had a difficult childhood. “We thought Bhama would be a great choice for the role as it demands much out of the actor,” says Julaina.
Actor Rahman makes a comeback to Malayalam. He plays Bhama’s husband, Eby, a banker. “Rahman is just the kind of man I had in mind for the character Eby” Julaina smiles.
And it’s a fierce drama waiting to unravel. The couple face a turbulent situation and it all depends on how they tame it.
And how was it being a first time scriptwriter? “Everything was new to me. I didn’t know how things worked in the industry. But Vinu and the team helped me a lot with writing and revisiting my characters every so often.” she says.
It’s been often observed by women scriptwriters that the women envisaged by a man speaks a different lingo altogether on celluloid. Does she feel the same way about women characters in cinema? “Not always. But sometimes,in movies where a woman character is in the forefront and the drama is intense, her reactions surprise me. But I think it has more to do with a difference in perception than being a male/female scriptwriter.”
Among the current crop of women behind the scenes in cinema, who has topped her list of favourites? “Anjali Menon!” quips Julaina, “both as a scriptwriter and director.”
So, are there plans to direct a movie soon? “Not at the moment. I’m taking baby steps in the industry. Every stage of the script-writing process has made me realize what a huge responsibility a film is. I definitely intend to keep writing. I may consider directing, but that is well into the future,” Julaina says.