KOCHI: Love has no boundaries, no gender. It is a beautiful feeling. And Mangosteen Club’s latest offering, a music video that metamorphosed into a short film, proves just that. Released just two weeks ago, Kaathaloram tells the story of Jaggu and Zyan, two men who are on vacation. Directed by Prathyush Chandran, the video intricately weaves a love story, one of personal struggle and acceptance.
“It was initially intended to be a music video, but as the discussions grew, a story evolved,” says Vishnu Vilasini Vijayan, the band member and the scriptwriter of the short.
“Many love stories show a heterosexual couple travelling to beautiful places. However, we wanted to make a song with two men in love and journeying to a picturesque destination,” he says.
The band had tinkered with the idea for years. It was only last December that the story was put together. “After auditions, casting, and all the planning we started shooting in May. And what better time than Pride month to release the video,” he says.
Just within two weeks, the short has amassed more than 3.5 lakh views. Its the first major hit for the band. The beautiful cinematography, the chemistry and intimacy between the characters, and the emotions pouring out are all seamlessly woven together with lyrics by Ajay Jishnu Sudheyan.
The song, composed and sung by Hariprasad S R, recreates the romance found in a heteronormative society through a queer lens. “We were not specifically depicting a particular spectrum of affection. Just embracing that pure feeling and euphoria of being in love through music and cinematography,” says director Pratyush.
“What I wanted was to portray love in the most transparent way possible, for love knows no boundaries nor limits. Moreover, the film aims to offer a glimpse of hope. In that case, why not depict the love between two men?” asks Vishnu.
He says that the idea was well appreciated by Pratyush, and they were determined to have the film portrayed by actors who could genuinely recognise and represent the queer community. Jaggadishwar Sukumar, who played Jaggu in the short, believes the video travels beyond the concept of queerness. “The song paints emotions that are common to everybody,” he says. One thing the makers wanted was to make the story of Jaggu and Zayn as real as possible. So the team organised a workshop for the actors to get to know each other and to be comfortable on screen. And it paid off, Vishnu says.
That’s true. The short has everything. Picturesque locations, well-fledged characters, a nostalgic trip to childhood, internal conflicts, and above all, romance. “We have received a lot of love since the release of the short film. It is very special to all of us and has also become the most-viewed video by the Mangosteen Club. As actors, we were restricted to the frames for a limited time, but the development of the two characters was the result of intensive efforts put in by the rest of the individuals behind the screen,” says Abhishek Jayakrishnan, who played the role of Zayn.