Forbidden tales of everyday people

Forbidden tales of everyday people

Tara Ramanujan’s debut film Nishiddho will be screened at 26th IFFK under the International Competition category

KOCHI: For Tara Ramanujan, penning down stories that pop into her mind was just a way to let the creative juices flow, until she made one of them into a film last year. Nishiddho, Tara’s debut film, was screened at the Bengaluru International Film Festival recently.

The film ventures into the lives of migrants in the metro city, Kochi. It will be screened for the second at the 26th edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) to be held from March 18 to 25. The movie features actress Kani Kusruti and Tanmay Dhanania in prominent roles and is one of the two Malayalam films that will be featured in the International Competition category. The 26th IFFK comes as a double delight for Tara, as this will be her first time at the IFFK.

Nishiddho aka Forbidden is one of the films produced by Kerala State Film Development Corporation under the Kerala Government’s women empowerment filmmaking project. The project helped Tara to conceive Nishiddho beautifully. Encouraging the government project as a supportive measure, Tara says, “I feel fortunate to have been selected for the KSFDC to make the film. Yes, the participation of women is less behind the camera across the globe, but nowadays, that is changing. More opportunities for women film aspirants are coming up.”

The Kochi native says initiatives like these would help more film aspirants follow their passion. She cites the examples of female South Indian filmmakers like Revathi, Anjali Menon, Geethu Mohandas and Vidhu Vincent, who are already in the limelight. “Films are a medium to reach out to a particular group of audience. So rather than limiting them to women-only support systems,

we should create more opportunities through a mixed talent pool. Or the government should support them more,” she adds.

Though Nishiddho was her debut film, Tara was active as a scriptwriter since 2017. She is a postgraduate in Journalism from the US. Elaborating on the film, she says it narrates the lives of common men in Kochi. The life of migrant labourers in Kerala has been discussed in media many times, but through Tara’s eyes, the other side of their lives where they embrace Kerala as their second home is shown. They live, laugh and celebrate small occasions in life with families. “The film is made in two or three layers where one could watch various backstories of several characters too, including a woman protagonist, Chaavi, played by actress Kani,” says Tara.

When asked about the movie’s title, she says it is a reflection of the visuals she witnessed in Kolkatta where goddess Durga idols and their parts were floating in the water bodies after the Visarjan puja. The emerging migrant population in the city gave her the idea to feature their lives.

Tara affirms that Nishiddho is a contemporary subject made in the backdrop of the current society. It is especially relevant as Kerala has been seeing an influx of migrant workers from all over the country.

“Chaavi is a Tamil woman living in Kochi. Rudra, played by actor Tanmay Dhanania, is a Bengali idol maker working as a construction worker in Kochi. The circumstances of their meeting and their relationship is the crux of the movie,” she says.

Opportunities for women

To bring more women directors to the forefront, the state government announced a scheme in the 2019-20 budget in which D3crore was allotted for two movies produced by the Kerala State Film Development Corporation. Out of the 62 screenplay entries received, the panel chose the screenplays of Thara Ramanujan and Mini I G.

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