KOCHI: Have you ever compared yourselves to a growing Jasmine vine, which finds itself intertwined with a nutmeg tree? What will you say, if someone told you that the world’s most famous socialist is nothing but the humble mosquito, which bites anyone, no matter who or what a person, or an insect is? The shortfilm ‘Mullavallikalkkidayile Jathithykal’ does just that, taking on a metaphoric tone. Like a vine which cannot exist without the support of the nutmeg plant or ‘Jathi Thykal’, the film makes an attempt at showing how people and politicians, even the many ‘casteless communists’ need the tag of a caste name.
The film starts with two friends talking, looking at the topics and the name for a short film which they plan to work on. Discussing the subject for a while and finding the title ‘Mullavallikalkkidayile Jathithykal’ apt for it, the duo eventually drops the idea unfortunately, so as not to fan a controversy. A satirical take on caste and politics and without any airs of a boring speech, the shortfilm is an interesting thought provoker. The film has already received 25,000 views since it’s release four days ago.
For Arun Sivadas, who has directed the 12-minute-long political satire, it was the result of an idea which had taken shape in his mind three years back. It was a scribbled message on one of the classroom walls at Maharaja’s College, which intrigued Arun, then a student doing his BSc Physics there. Adds Arun, who grew passionate about films during his time at the college, “The sentence scribbled was ‘Mullavallikalkum Tenmaavinumidayil Aaranavo Jaadiyude Thykal Nattathu?’
I found it quite interesting and wanted to work on it. Even after passing out, the idea was still fresh in my mind, which I later discussed with ‘Gangs of Maharaja’s’, a group formed by some of the college students interested in filmmaking and related areas. All of them, mostly my seniors at college, liked the idea.” Stating there was no concrete script for the film apart from the basic idea, he said, “It just has the feel of a casual conversation between two friends,”.
Gokul Siva and Jino John (Oru Mexican Aparatha and Maheshinte Pradhikaram fame) forms the cast of the film.Written, directed and produced by Arun, the cinematography for the short film has been handled by Sajid Nazar while the background score is taken care of by Vysakh Bejoy.
Arun, who is passionate about filmmaking and script writing, hopes to pursue the same as a career. Winding up the conversation, he says, “I hope to direct a feature film of my own some day.”