They are the real heroes, the ones who come to our rescue in moments of danger and disaster. Yet, praise and plaudits elude them. No movies captured their deeds or nobody celebrated their heroics. But, firefighters, the brave lot who are forgotten once the mission is over, are finally getting their due in Mollywood.
‘Fireman’, the next venture of Deepu Karunakaran that will hit the screens this month, captures the courage and determination of Fire and Rescue Services personnel who willingly takes up the most-perilous of the tasks even forsaking their own safety.
Says Deepu: “Fireman is a realistic take on the life and work of firefighters. It is more like a news coverage. The movie will portray them as they are, without add-ons, exaggeration or hype,” says Deepu.
‘Fireman’ zooms in on three fire fighters- officer Vijay played by Mammootty, senior officials played by P Sreekumar and Shahjahan, a newbie, brought alive by Unni Mukundan - who embark on a mission, a fire break out. How they face the mission and prevent a disaster forms the crux of the story. “The movie sketches the incidents that happen in a day. The movie unravels how the officials pull their act together in the moments of danger,” says Deepu.
However, the director refuses to bracket the movie under any genre. “There are thrills in ‘Fireman’ but it is not necessarily a thriller. Their life, with its moments of anticipation, excitement, fear and courage, is captured as such. To reflect the right sense of what they do, I have gone soft on the technical sides. Who will care about the camera angle, the frame and the beauty of the scene when what unravels onscreen is a matter of life-and-death. I think keeping it original gives the right feel,” says Deepu. He adds that the posters and trailers of the movie would also be kept sober.
Besides, the three-generation of officers and the differences in their approach to work have been woven into the narrative. “The character played by Sreekumar is on the verge of retirement. For him, the mission will make a final mark on his career. He is excited as well as apprehensive. But, officer Vijay is calm and composed and is totally in control of the situation while Shahjahan is full of youthful excitement,” says Deepu.
However, the movie doesn’t delve into their personal space.
‘Fireman’ is based on a script by Ranjith Manoj. “When he came up with the thread, I was
beyond excitement as it is a novel venture,” says Deepu.
Actor Unni Mukundan too shares the opinion. “It was actually a revelation playing a fire fighter. I got to know a lot more about their life. The role has been a challenge to the actor in me,” says the actor.
He adds that enacting Shahjahan was easy as much as it was challenging. “He is new to the job. He is excited and fearful. The movie captures these emotions,” he says.
The music of the movie has been composed by Rahul Raj. “Music has a significant space in ‘Fireman’ as it sets the tone. But, there is only one song,” says the director.
The movie will also have Nyla Usha, Siddique, Salim Kumar, Kalasala Babu and Harish Peradi playing prominent roles. It is being produced under the banner of Galaxy Films by Milan Jaleel.