Seven Malayalam films chronicling the contemporary Kerala life will be screened at the Malayalam Cinema Today section of the 16th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK). ‘Gaddama’, ‘Karmayogi’, ‘Pakarnnattam’, ‘Akam’, ‘Pranchiyettan and the Saint’, ‘Sankaranum Mohananum’ and ‘Traffic’ are the films to be screened at the IFFK.
‘Gaddama’, directed by Kamal, captures the perils and exploitation faced by its protagonist Aswathy, who works as a maid in Arabia. Aswathy is forced to leave her homeland to work as a domestic help following her husband’s unexpected death.
‘Gaddama’ is the term used for referring to servants. Kavya Madhavan bagged the state award for the best actress for her performance in the film.
V K Prakash’s ‘Karmayogi’, a film based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet, revolves around the inner conflicts of Rudran Gurukkal, the lead character. Indrajith plays the protagonist, while the cast includes Saiju Kurup, Ashokan, Manikuttan, Thalaivasal Vijay, M R Gopakumar, Vinay, Nithya Menon and Padmini Kolhapure. ‘Pakarnnattam’, a film by noted filmmaker Jayaraj, sketches the social scenario which creates individuals ready to sacrifice anything for their ideology.
‘Akam’, a film by debutant Shalini Usha Nair, is based on Malayattoor Ramakrishnan’s renowned work ‘Yakshi’. The film is all about the turmoil of a husband who believes his wife is possessed as he cannot find any other explanation for her strange behaviour.
Ranjith’s ‘Pranchiyettan and the Saint’ focuses on the life of Cherammal Enashu Francis and his sarcastic endeavours for fame. The film is a subtle mixture of reality and fantasy as the film features Enashu’s imaginary conversations with Saint Francis of Assissi. Mammootty plays the title role as the rich and less literate Enashu, who tries to get a Padma Shri by bribing authorities.
T V Chandran’s ‘Sankaranum Mohananaum’ is a trip through the mindscape of fashion photographer Mohanankrishnan. Sankaran, who believes in relations, and Mohanan, who stays away from all the bonds, are the major characters in the film.
Rajesh Pillai’s ‘Traffic’ is based on a real-life incident. The theme of the film is a heart transplant surgery. Sreenivasan, Kunchacko Boban, Vineeth Sreenivasan, Rahman, Asif Ali, Remya Nambeeshan and Sandhya play the main characters in the film.