It’s a strange time for Malayalam cinema. Many filmmakers who dare to think out of the box are concerned. However, only a few have been vocal about it. Tharun Moorthy is one of them. The filmmaker, who made waves with his debut feature Operation Java, is wondering whether audiences are still excited about novel approaches to filmmaking as they did in the last decade. “Is the trend changing?” he wonders.
When Kerala theatres briefly reopened in the post-pandemic world, Operation Java was the ‘inaugural’ film which benefitted from strong word of mouth, managed to rake in the bucks and was eventually declared a hit. There was a good reason: It was a well-made film that scored highly in all filmmaking departments.
Now, Tharun’s second film, Saudi Vellakka, is pondering its release in another tricky scenario—lukewarm reception to small-scale movies. He notes how the attempts to appeal to the relatively younger audiences in the opening weeks and then rely on them for strong word-of-mouth publicity may not always work for a film that primarily targets a family audience.
So Tharun’s confusion is understandable when he says, “I’m concerned about the space that my films would get. For Operation Java, the target audience was youngsters, and it worked for them because there were some appealing elements like unemployed B.Tech graduates, their struggles, and so on. There were no family audiences for the first couple of weeks; they came only later. They also welcomed it after its OTT release.”
The team had initially planned a May 20 release but had to put that plan on hold due to various factors. Tharun attributes the release delay to the uncertainty regarding exposure.
“Saudi Vellakka is something we all put our heart and soul into. I have strong faith in my film. But when we are at a time when a majority of audiences are drawn more towards spectacle and gimmick-driven entertainers, and when you have already made it clear to your producer that your film doesn’t belong in that group, you are obligated to ensure that this film reaches the intended target audience,” says Tharun, who feels that a filmmaker’s second film is crucial no matter how successful his first was.
Given the strong reception to Operation Java, many expected Tharun to sign a big star for his next, and there have been opportunities. He turned them down because he wasn’t interested in the norm. “I found the idea of doing another content-oriented film more appealing —a film with a different flavour, with interesting characters and all the necessary emotions. It’s the urge to be a versatile filmmaker that drew me to Saudi Vellakka.”
Binu Pappu, Srindaa, Lukman, and Gokulan are among the principal cast members.Tharun’s drive to focus more on content than stars is prompted by the belief that the Malayalam film industry should be propelled forward in the next few years by content-oriented films —well-made, of course—made with minimal budgets.
“Films like Operation Java and Jan-e-Man are testaments to that,” he observes, adding that “audiences look for content that’s entertaining, not who is starring in it.” “Malayalam cinema’s strength and USP is the content they create. There are lots of versatile actors and technicians in the industry, and they get recognised only when good content comes out.”
Tharun believes he has made something “special” just like his last film. “When it comes to Saudi Vellakka, its USPs are humour and emotions that everyone can connect to, including youngsters. But I also feel that wrapped in those elements are some values that would resonate more with folks that are relatively older. That doesn’t mean only a certain kind of audience should come for the film. It’s just that it’s not a thriller like Operation Java.”
Billed as a legal drama, Saudi Vellakka, produced by Sandip Senan (Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum), has Lukman playing the protagonist. But ‘protagonist’ is a term that, Tharun says, applies to any character in the film, as it did in Operation Java.
“The story of Saudi Vellakka is told from the perspective of Lukman’s character, and it should naturally appeal to the youth. But it also has characters in age groups ranging from 20-80, and emotions associated with them. If you look at Operation Java, it was told through the pov of all its characters. They all had their own space in it. Although Saudi Vellakka is not a thriller, there are moments where a character from a particular segment becomes the protagonist at that particular time.”
Is it a realistic courtroom drama? “Mostly, yes, but it is not without its cinematic moments either,” says Tharun, who turned to real-life advocates, policemen, and other court officials for inputs to lend a sense of verisimilitude. “We took script suggestions from everyone and even created real documents—FIRs, receipts and whatnot—pertaining to the cases addressed in the film. They gave us access to whatever we needed. Creating all those details was so exciting. I believe Malayalam cinema has not attempted a courtroom drama like this before. The idea is to inform and entertain at the same time, just like we did with Operation Java,” he signs off.