In 'Othalanga Thuruthu', a fictional island, central characters Nathu, Pappan and Uthaman live life on their own terms. They aren’t particularly working towards anything in life, and take each day as it comes.
'Othalanga Thuruthu', a comedy web series by Kollam-native Ambuji BCM, has amassed a cult following on social media for its fine production and subtle humour.It has Abin Bino, Jayesh Janardhan and Jagadeesh Kumar playing the lead roles.
"The characters are similar to the othalanga fruit which floats freely on the water without any direction. Though the fruit is considered to be poisonous, the characters aren’t. The web series narrates the story of innocent locals on the island," says Ambuji.
The web series is being shot at Aayiram Thengu in Kollam. The picturesque frames, an asset to the series, are the work of Kiran Nupital. "These days, most 'web series' are shot indoors. And many of them narrate city-based stories for an urban audience. I believe people love to watch interesting tales happening in rural areas. Malayalis have a fondness for scenic locations," adds Ambuji.
The USP of the series is that the episodes have no continuity. "Each episode narrates a new story happening on the island. There is no continuity in our life, likewise in the series," quips Ambuji. The series is being shot with a limited crew and budget and is co-produced by Ambuji's uncle Kuttans Pramod. "I should thank him for taking over the production when we were low on budget," he says.
Ambuji hadn’t conducted any audition for his characters -- a majority of the actors hail from Kollam. "I’ve known Abin for five years. I met Kiran and Jayesh during the screening of my short film ‘Karanjandu’. Then I pitched the idea of the series and they were interested. Jagadeesh came to the set to be a part of the crew and turned into an actor," he says.
Though the series has been widely accepted, the audience is concerned about the delay in releasing new episodes. "Since it is shot outdoors, it takes around five days for completion. Also, I handle the script, direction and editing. These differ in every episode -- I start working on the same only after the previous episode is released," says Ambuji, who worked as an assistant editor in the movie ‘Oru Adaar Love’.
Ambuji affirms that more interesting characters will be introduced in the coming episodes. “We haven’t revealed the actual size of the island. It’s up to our viewers to find out,” he adds.