It’s the tale of a simpleton named Aravind T P who hails from a middle class family. He has a mediocre job and his dreams are no different. Aravind is friends with like-minded people who enjoys simple pleasures.
The protagonist in Salt Mango Tree is essentially the one you see around and the movie shows how he negotiates the prejudices of society, says Rajesh Nair, the director.
Rajesh, who earlier directed Escape from Uganda, says Salt Mango Tree is a fun ride which captures the life of a middle class man with a very ambitious wife.
“Aravind has a wife who dreams of big things. She wants to send her son to the very best school in city. She is a victim of a very judgmental society and it is their story that Salt Mango Tree discusses,” says Rajesh.
He adds that he has tried to weave in a few facts, albeit not in a preach tone. “There are certain things many take for granted. One such thing is the common trend of assuming that a person who knows English is knowledgeable. Through some humour-laden instance, I aim to make a statement against this,” says the director.
Salt Mango Tree also plays up the purity of family relationships which the director says he has a personal attachment to. “We are shrinking to micro segments and people forget the fact that we are social animals. There is a beautiful song in the movie that highlights the relationship between a grandfather and a child,” says the director.
Salt Mango Tree also take potshots at the present education system. “We have brought in many elements of contemporary relevance but we aren’t thrusting any social message on the audience. Every instance is laced with humour,” says Rajesh Nair.
Tamil actor Lakshmi Chandramouli plays Priya, wife of Biju Menon’s character Aravindan. Then Master Varkichan plays another important role as the son of the couple. Suhasini, Indrans, Sarayu, and Sudheer Karamana plays other prominent characters.
The story is by Vinod Vijayakumar and Vinod Jayakumaran. The film is produced by Roshan Chittoor, Abheesh V. P. and Shajoon Karyal.
Debutant Hesham Abdul Wahab has composed the scores. Vishnu Sharma is the cinematographer.