KOCHI: Things are different this time in the Jose K Mani camp when it comes to canvassing votes. The usual method of using public relations agencies to make campaign videos and promotional songs is no longer the in-thing. Jose’s team has decided to tap into the vastness (aparatha) of the Pala assembly constituency with director Tom Emmatty of the Oru Mexican Aparatha fame.
“Outsourcing the shooting of campaign videos and promotional songs to outside agencies was the trend earlier. But the stuff created by them lacked the essence the voters of the constituency could identify with,” said Tom, whose film portraying campus politics was a huge hit among the youth. Having taken a break from filmmaking till the elections are over, Tom has planned a different approach. “The innovative thing about our campaign videos and songs is that they have been made with the help of artists from the 12 grama panchayats in the constituency,” he said.
That gives a local touch to the campaign, the director said. “I think that is the need of the hour.” Tom said the campaign song has been written by Vinayak Sasikumar of Mayanadi fame.“We have titled the campaign ‘Ente Pala’,” he said. “Everything about the campaign is rooted in Pala.”
The artists and materials for the videos were selected through the committees that were formed in each of the 12 panchayats. “So we aren’t bringing before the people any parody. We are bringing to the people what persons from among them have got to say. The entire thing has a touch of art,” Tom said. Another peculiarity of the initiative is that this will be a five-year thing, he said. “We aren’t doing this just for the election period. The aim is to help uplift the artists.”