2018 was the year of floods. The unusually heavy monsoon inundated several districts of Kerala. It was the best of times and the worst of times. Many people lost their lives and many people lost almost all their property. However, this was also the time when many became heroes. They came in boats, helicopters and trucks, rescuing people, providing them with food and shelter, cleaning their homes and helping them restart their lives.
2018, Judd Anthony’s film, celebrates those unsung heroes and their stories of courage, empathy and survival. The multi-starrer is the first film shot on a large canvas that tries to capture the horrors of the floods, its aftermath and the rescue operations.
It took three years for Jude to complete his dream project, but he’s not complaining. With 125 characters and multiple subplots, 2018 It is, he says, a story of hope and resilience.
The idea of such a film began when an NGO approached Judd to record on film the heroic actions of thousands of people during the floods as a positive message for our times. “It got me thinking,” says Jude. “I started reading everything I could about the flood. I went to Kollam to meet the first five fishermen who had boarded trucks with their boats for the rescue operation in Chengannur. He did it on his own and had no previous experience of this type of work. I talked to all the other fishermen I talked to as well.
Jude Anthony Joseph with Kunchacko Boban on the sets of their film 2018
, Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Jude had a detailed interaction with police, volunteers, army personnel and fire brigade personnel participating in the rescue operations. He also spoke to the victims. “I did my best to reach out to as many of them as possible to make the narrative as realistic as possible.”
Judd worked with novelist Akhil Dharmajan on the screenplay, and the first draft was completed in June 2019. They polished the script and with the third version, they started shooting in October 2019 at a school in Kalady. The dates had to be finalized with each of the actors engaged.
“The plan was to shoot Tovino Thomas’ portion in 12 days and resume shooting in March 2020. We started working on the sets when the lockdown came into force. By then our schedule had become redundant, ”recalls the filmmaker.
meanwhile judd directed Sarah’s With Anna Ben and Sunny Wayne. cast and crew of 2018 had moved on to other projects.
“There were so many stars like Kunchacko Boban, Vineeth Srinivasan, Tovino, Nivin Pauly… just getting their dates would have been difficult. Many people advised me to do separate films with each of them. Interest in the film waned but I wasn’t ready to give up so easily,” Judd insisted. Moreover, Judd felt the script was too good to be discarded, especially when he had the power to make the most of it. There was an opportunity.
“Even after my film is made, there is scope for many films to be made on the same subject. Water is difficult to shoot on screen. It takes time and effort. Maybe that’s why we haven’t seen many movies on the deluge yet. Judd’s ambition was to build a set and use water without relying entirely on CG.
He points out that although survival films are popular in Hollywood, they are not made much in India, especially not on the scale that is seen in Hollywood cinema. There have been films that tell the stories of individuals and families affected by disasters, but not of the disaster itself.
Judd worked with the art director to design a miniature set for the show featuring the producers, Anto Joseph, CK Padma Kumar and Venu Kunnappilly. He explained how he planned to shoot the film and this convinced the makers about the feasibility of the project.
“When the shooting resumed in 2022, we had tightened the script and it was 14 th The draft that we finally used. During the lockdown, I worked hard to edit and fine tune it. I think we have the best version now but we left out some of the stories we had collected.
The sets were erected on a 12-acre plot taken on lease at Maravanturutu near Vaikom. The entire shoot was kept a secret as the team was not sure how it would pan out. A large area was filled with water. “We were in the water for eight to 10 hours. It was physically exhausting and technically challenging but we did it. The actors and technicians were extremely helpful. Since we were in the water, the sync sound was discarded and the entire cast returned for dubbing.
The ensemble cast includes Kunchacko Boban, Vineeth Srinivasan, Narayan, Nivin Pauly, Tovino Thomas, Asif Ali, Gautami Nair, Aparna Balamurali, Lal, Jaffer Idukki, Ranji Panicker, Aju Varghese and Shivada.
“Since there are many characters in the film, I wanted well-known faces. A character seen in scene three may next appear in scene 41. If played by a newcomer, the audience may find it difficult to remember who the character was. On the other hand, stars have a recall value and that’s why I insisted on a multi-star cast.
Director whose filmography includes light entertainment such as Om Shanti Oshana And Oru Muthashi Gadha agree that he stepped outside his comfort zone for this 2018, “I worked with actors more experienced than me and it was amazing.”
Judd says he plans to release at the end of the year.