THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amid the overflow of short films on various themes eyeing on commercial success and popularity mania, here is a short film which focuses on the vicious web of suffering and misery that cancer spins around its victim. The film titled Bhagyavarsham is set against the back drop of a middle class family which faces the cruelty of the disease and its after effects.
According to Joemax, the director of the film, Bhagyavarsham portrays the woes of a cancer patient and his family who suffer the most. “The number of cancer patients is increasing and is getting equivalent to the number of population. Eventhough the situation is getting murkier, no one bothers to understand what a family of a cancer patient encounters. This movie is trying to depict the issues faced by one of these families,” says Joemax, who has penned the script as well.
The short film revolves around the life of Sibi, who had to drop his higher studies after his father is diagnosed with the deadly disease. “Sibi aspires to become a lecturer but because of the unfortunate circumstances he could not chase his dreams. For his father’s treatment, his family is forced to sell their house and land to raise money,” he says about his debut outing.
“The film is not just a work of fiction but narrates the real life experiences of different people,” adds the director. Through the short film, the director also sheds light on the merciless relatives of the victims. “The suffering family doesn’t require sympathy but they deserve mercy from others,” he adds.
While Tony Joseph plays the lead role, Shobha Mohan, Anju Mohan, Jibin Jose, Joseph Kema Parambil, Arjun Menon and Kalabhavan Benni are also part of the cast. Noushad Sheriff, who has worked in ‘Chembada’ and ‘Saradhi’, has cranked the camera for this 45-minute film.
Joemax, nephew of late actor Rajan P Dev, says, “I have worked in several films in Malayalam as assistant to cinematographers like Venugopal sir for films like Poothumbiyum Poovalanmarum, Shibiram, Hitler Brothers and Achama Kuttiyude Achayan.” The film will be released in Youtube on July 3.