After capturing the trauma of old age and its incumbent loneliness in ‘Ekaantham’ which fetched him the national award for the best debutante director, Madhu Kaithapram is giving final touches to his next project ‘Madhya Venal.’ The movie with Manoj K Jayan and Swetha Menon in the lead is Madhu’s pet project, being shot in and around Payyannur where he was born and brought up.
“Payyannur played a significant role in the freedom struggle. The khadi movement is an important chapter in its history,” says Madhu, giving a peek into his movie that revolves around the lives of those who depend on the looms for a living. “The khadi loom was orginally a means to support the freedom movement rather than provide sustenance,” says Madhu, pointing to the village’s historical importance. “Even today we can see a lot of people wearing khadi in Payyannur which is not common in other parts of Kerala.”
The movie, shot mainly in and around Payyannur, is also a take on the present society which turns a blind eye to the glories of its past. A meltdown of values in a mad rush to make ends meet is what Madhu tries to highlight in the movie which is scripted by him. “Madhya Venal’ stands out from the mainstream movies by being a heroine-oriented one,” says Madhu.”I like to exploit the poignancy of women power through my female characters.”
The movie revolves around Sarojini, a loom worker, played by Swetha. With a family that depends on her income for survival, Sarojini is different from her mother, a freedom fighter, and considers the loom as just a means to feed her family, ignoring the cause behind it. Her husband Kumaran (played by Manoj K Jayan) is a trade union leader. Turmoil enters into their otherwise peaceful life with the arrival of a new-generation bank representative.
“My movie is peopled by ordinary women who bring to light the importance of frugal living- a theme that holds good in the time of global meltdown,” says Madhu who started his career in filmdom by assisting Jayaraj in movies such as Kaliyattom and Kathoram. In fact Sabitha Jayaraj too has a lengthy role in the movie as Yasodha, a loom worker. The songs in the film, scored by Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri, are sung by Yesudas. ‘Madya Venal’ is produced
by Jehangir Shamz under the Xarfnet banner.
jijicherian@epmltd.com
