THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chinmayi Nair, a Class 12 student, has made a patriotic splash with ‘Class by a Soldier’, a film woven around the themes of patriotism and prevention of drug abuse Alongside Vijay Yesudas playing the lead role as Major Kishore, the film features Shweta Menon, Meenakshi, Kalabhavan Shajohn, and ‘Dracula’ Sudheer in significant roles.
Brimming with the spirit of Independence Day, the audio launch of the film, which includes a patriotic track titled ‘Rashtrapathaka’, was held in Kochi on Monday. A student of MGM NSS Higher Secondary School in Kottayam, Chinmayi has previously worked on a few short films and says she drew inspiration from her father, director Anil Raj, to confidently take on the challenge of directing a feature film.
“The film, which is slated for a theatre release next month, aims to raise awareness about eradicating drugs from our society,” she says. “While my father wrote the script, I developed the story based on the school environment. It revolves around how four children are rescued by a soldier, Major Kishore.”
Chinmayi personally approached singer Vijay Yesudas for the role after watching his portrayal of a police officer in the Tamil film ‘Maari’. She was also insistent about casting Meenakshi, who is her classmate and friend. She adds that the project idea germinated when she participated in a Mukthi camp organised by the excise department.
“When I was in Class 10, my school principal asked me to create a short film for a contest by the excise department. Back then, I joked that my next project would be a full-length film. Surprisingly, an idea emerged out of it, marking the beginning of this journey,” says Chinmayi.
Notably, the song ‘Rashtrapathaka’, sung by Vijay Yesudas, and some military sequences were filmed at the Kazhakoottam Sainik School in Thiruvananthapuram. As a tribute to defence personnel, Chinmayi visited the Pangode Military Station last month and dedicated the song to the former station commander, Brigadier Lalit Sharma.