THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Breaking the mould takes courage. In a society that still harbours perverted ideas and ideals of attractiveness, especially in terms of darker complexions, Thanha Fathima felt out of place. And it has taken her parents to help the tenth grader fight her battles -- both physical and psychological.
A former restaurateur, K K Basheer was deeply pained by his daughter’s struggles to cope with her skin colour, that he decided to produce a film about body shaming to help her overcome her insecurity. In Kuruvi Paapa, which hits theatres on March 1, Thanha portrays her real-life struggles as Kuruvi in the company of Vineeth, Muktha, Lal Jose, Kailash and others. The film is directed by Joshy John.
A student of Kalamassery Government Vocational HSS, in Kochi, Thanha always felt discriminated against. The constant refrain of friends and family, that ‘fair is beautiful, dark is ugly’, didn’t help. Thanha grew to hate her complexion so much that she even threw hot water on her face a few years ago. It was this incident that prompted Basheer and his wife Jasmin to come to the aid of their younger daughter. They encouraged her to be part of reality shows on leading Malayalam TV channels. “But my trauma remained unaddressed,” Thanha tells TNIE.
“I don’t remember when I first started harbouring feelings of being inferior. Ever since a child, I aspired to become an actress. Thanks to my parents, my life story is being made into a film. Now, the same friends who made fun of my complexion are looking up to me and supporting me,” says Thanha, who is keen on pursuing computer-science stream for her plus one.
Made on a Rs 2.65-crore budget, Kuruvi Paapa has been co-produced by K Khalid and U K Rahim and features five songs sung by Madhu Balakrishnan, Mridula Warrier, Najim Arshad and Sayanora. Basheer, who has pinned his hopes on his daughter’s debut film, was thrilled when director-actor Lal Jose said that “a Friday is enough to change one’s luck.”
“As Thanha’s father, I was proud when she finished some of her scenes in one take. Kuruvi Paapa is a family entertainer. I am hoping that audiences will enjoy this humble venture with an unexpected twist. But I don’t want to spoil the suspense,” Basheer added.
Based on a script written by Thantha’s mother and brother Bismith Nilambur, the movie is a real family affair. The camera has been cranked by Vipin Mohan.
Thanha’s class teacher Shalini Pai is all praise. “Thanha is extremely talented. If she puts in the work, she will do well in her exams as well,” she said.