They keep their eyes and ears open for the weird and wonderful and look out for themes that stun and shock. Thinking out of the box is the new mantra budding filmmakers. The latest Tamil flick Thee Kulikkum Pachai Maram is one such off-the-beaten-track endeavour portraying some of the dark and dreary sides of life, of life in a mortuary.
The duo Vineesh and Prajeesh from Kozhikode have shared the director’s cap for their debut venture.
As Prajeesh puts it, “We drew the outline of the story from the experiences of a mortuary helper in one of the hospitals in Koyilandy. The horrifying incidents of illegal organ trading, mauling and raping of corpses haunt the mortuary walls even today. Through the movie, we have tried to bring out the atrocious side of human nature that does not even spare a dead body,” he says.
The realistic movie was initially composed as a short film which fetched the pair many laurels.
“We didn’t think of making a movie but director Samuthirakani plodded us on to turn it into a full-fledged film. His support and encouragement nourished our confidence,” says Prajesh. The scenes also delve into the different sides of juvenile delinquency. The script is by none other than Vineesh.
Thee Kulikum Pacchai Maram will have Prajin Padmanabhan, a supporting actor in Thriller, along with Sarayu and Sassa in the cast.
The film revolves around Pandi, the protagonist, who goes through an unhappy childhood which prompts him to a wayward life that lands him in a juvenile home for some years.
“The film unfurls with the release of Pandi and his friends from jail after serving a six-year term. Pandi returns home low in spirits with no family to call his own. But his childhood sweetheart Chandrika, played by Sarayu, lends his some warm moments. She insists that Pandi marry her. Though the latter rejects her initially, he surrenders before her genuine love and finally marries her. With a baby on the way and in dire need of money, Pandi takes up a job of a mortuary helper and life takes an unexpected twist.”
Incidents depicting the transformation of Pandi from a first-timer at mortuary to a more experienced one are woven in telling ways. “During his first few days, Pandi faints on seeing a corpse being dissected. But later he even dares to remove the shoe from a corpse and casually tries it on,” explains Prajeesh.
Things go ‘smooth’ for this young man until an unfortunate incident takes the movie to a shocking climax. How easy was a Tamil start for the new comers?
“Not very. Primarily because we come from different backgrounds, Vineesh, being a journalist and myself a software engineer. The experiences from the short film gave us some grounding. But the biggest support is the good backing from many directors in the Tamil film industry,” says Prajeesh.
Thee Kulikum Pachai Maram, produced by Millenium Visual Media, was shot in Pollachi and Chennai. Goutham K has penned the Tamil dialogue and Madhu Ambatt wields the camera. The movie will hit theatres this month-end.