KOCHI: While Mammootty’s much-awaited Mamankam is all set to hit screens next week, Sajeev Pillai, the director who was ousted from the movie midway, has released a novel with the same name. The book, released without any official launch function, has already hit the stands. According DC Books, the publishers, the movie is based on this novel.
“The book was released by DC Books on Monday. The book is not a work which deals with the suicide warriors (chaver) alone. It consists of various characters which I have created.“The story is not the same traditional story related to the Mamankam festival we have been hearing from our childhood. It deals with a theme which focuses on overcoming the hurdles that life poses creatively,” Sajeev Pillai told TNIE.
The novel is making headlines because of Pillai’s connection with the upcoming movie directed by M Padmakumar. The movie was initially launched with Pillai as the director.
However, following a tiff between Pillai and producer Venu Kunnappilly after a month of shooting, Padmakumar was roped in to complete the project.Pillai then completed the novel and published it a week ahead of the movie’s release.“I do not want to talk much about the movie and all those issues surrounding the project once again,” said Pillai.Priced at `350, the book is available at shops as well as in online stores.
“There is a place in Malappuram known as Paangu. The Chaverthara of suicide warriors is still there. Nearby, there is a tomb of Chaver Chanthunni.
“The novel revolves around the boy Chanthunni, who was a suicide warrior.“The uniqueness of such warriors is that though they are suicide warriors fighting against some big forces, they are addicted to it. They cannot agree with dictatorship and they consider freedom as the most precious thing in life,” said Pillai Meanwhile, the movie is set for a worldwide release on December 12.
The film, which is one of the costliest productions in Mollywood, has Mammootty, Unni Mukundan, Prachi Tehlan, Anu Sithara and Siddique in prominent roles.The film will also have dubbed versions in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi.