THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state award for Tara Ramanujan’s debut film Nishiddho comes as a major relief at a time when there are widespread discussions on atrocities against women, especially in film industry. Nishiddho aka Forbidden written and directed by Tara, deals with the lives of migrants in an urban setting while also portraying the intricacies of a short love affair. Nishiddho shared the honour of the second-best film with Chavittu, directed by the Rahman Brothers.
“It is a huge recognition for my work and a win for the whole team of Nishiddho. I feel it should be a motivation and inspiration for others to come up with their creations. It is a recognition of my small film. The award is a validation that there are many good hearts around us to support our efforts,” she said while expressing her gratitude to KSFDC. It’s the first movie produced by Kerala State Film Development Corporation under the state government’s women empowerment filmmaking project. Though it’s Tara’s debut film, she was active as a film scriptwriter since 2017.
Tara who is a postgraduate in journalism from the US explains that Nishiddho is predominantly a migrant story that narrates the lives of common men living in Kochi. Many topics about migrant labourers in Kerala have been discussed in media, but Tara’s take on their lives showcases the other side where they embrace Kerala as their second home.
The film portrays a relationship that blooms between a Bengali man and a Tamil woman at their workplace in Kerala. Actress Kani Kusruti plays the character Chaavi and actor Tanmay Dhanania plays Rudra, an idol-maker from Kolkata. Chavi is a woman from the Tamil community in Kochi and Rudra played by actor Tanmay Dhanania is a Bengali idol maker who works as a construction worker in Kochi. How they meet and the incidents that unfold form the crux of the movie.