Malayalam filmmakers are creating a way to explore the diversity and panoramic scenery of Kasaragod
Malayalam filmmakers are creating a way to explore the diversity and panoramic scenery of Kasaragod
Kasaragod is full of all things Malayalam cinema. The northernmost district of Kerala – its spectacular landscape, people, dialect and culture – has finally found its footing in mainstream cinema.
“Once upon a time in Malayalam cinema, it was all about Valluvanad [pastoral areas of north central Kerala], Now it is in Kasaragod and marginal headlines!” Viewer Sanjeev Pazur, co-author of Thondimuthalam Drikxium (2017).
from now on Thondimuthalam Drixxium, Which was established in Kasaragod. photo credit: special arrangement
This crime drama that unfolds in a dusty, dry border village has more or less bucked the trend. Since then the scenarios of Kasaragod are appearing in films like magic (Bekal Fort) and unda (Muleria’s Acacia Forest), television series family man (Bekal Town), and its specially pronounced Malayalam reflects padyottamto name a few.
Tovino Thomas and Aishwarya Lakshmi Inn magic
, photo credit: special arrangement
Home ground
Then came the strangeness of Army Hegde thinkclazcha nishayayam (2021). Made in the director’s hometown of Kanhangad and starring native actors speaking the local dialect, the film renewed interest in the region. And now, with the runaway hit of Ratheesh Balakrishnan Poduval, Nana Than Case Kodu, Starring Kunchakko Boban and yet another stellar cast of local talent, Kasaragod continues to dominate the screens.
still from short film Anurag Engineering Works
, photo credit: special arrangement
It doesn’t end there. short film Anurag Engineering Workswho, like Nana Than Case CodeAlso located amidst the semi-arid bushes of Chemeni, a small town in the interior of the district, is currently trending on YouTube with over 40 million views.
There are several Malayalam films in the works set in Kasaragod, including invisible waterDirected by Dr. Biju, with Tovino and Nimisha Sajayan in lead roles, Tovino ajayante random motion, missArmy Ki, starring Aishwarya Laxmi and directed by Nirmal Sahdev 1744 White Alto, led by Sharfuddin, and so on. Even the newly remastered version of G Aravindan’s seminal Kummatti Shows Kasaragod in all its glory! “It looks like the entire district has been taken over by the film crew! One can barely walk before hitting the streets!” Says a happy army.
from now on thinkclazcha nishayayam Directed by Sena Hegde | photo credit: special arrangement
On a more serious note, he says, “For a long time, no one was interested in us, politically or cinematically. In popular culture, Kasaragod was always the object of fun; The place they send you when you get a sentencing transfer! So, we had to change that perception ourselves. Kasaragod is a beautiful place with a friendly, cinema-loving population. It has a hilly area to the north of the Chandragiri River, where the culture is a mixture of Malayali, Kannada and Tulu. To the south of the river, the plains are very Kerala in nature. ,
of the army Art director Ullas Hydur agrees. “The geography of the district is unlike any other. For example, the dry grasslands in the interior of the district set against the signature laterite rocky terrain that, shimmering gold and red in the sunlight, are magical. You really don’t have much to do when nature hands you such beautiful frames. Plus, just as many parts of the district still have that old-world charm; It’s quiet out there,” Glee says.
Film Director Sena Hegde | photo credit: special arrangement
Indeed, the beautiful landscape of Kasaragod was first immortalized on screen in Mani Ratnam’s film Bombay (1995), is featured in the particularly soulful ‘Uire, Uire’ in the splendid Bekal Fort, a centuries-old, laterite stone building overlooking the Arabian Sea. “Kasaragod is probably the last unbroken frontier of Kerala,” says producer Sandeep Sanon. Thondimuthalam… Its author Sanjeev says he needed a dry landscape for the story and found the right place in Sheni, an arid village about 10 kilometers from the border with Karnataka.
When searching for a location invisible water, Biju says that he sought a place away from the modern furnishings of life and found it at Posadi Gumpe. “It’s absolutely green and beautiful; An ancient hill station is always covered in mist,” says Biju.
his last film Valiyachirakula bird age (2013) was one of the first to be established in the district. It was shot in Muleria and you can see all the three seasons (spring, summer and rainy) of Kasaragod in the film. like other movies chattambinadu And Kasaba There were also sets and in particular, the award winning Kannada film is notable. Sarkari Hiriya Prathamika Shale, KasaragoduWhich deals with the issue of language in the northern parts of the district, where many people speak Malayalam, Kannada and Tulu.
A shot of Sena Hegde’s upcoming film 1744 White Alto
, photo credit: special arrangement
Given that Kasaragod is close to Kannur, Kozhikode and Mangalore airports, another major factor cited by the filmmakers is the cost, which, they claim, is comparatively cheaper than elsewhere in Kerala.
authentic touch
It also helps that many new crops of filmmakers, writers and technicians are from the place and thus familiar with the surroundings and the Malabar region in general. “It’s easier to have that authenticity when you have people you know,” says Kiran Josie, director and co-author Anurag Engineering Works, “In our case, co-writer Adarsh Sadanandan is from nearby Payyanur and the film was based on some people he knew and their way of life,” he says.
Many filmmakers also choose local actors for supporting roles. “Here is a treasure trove of talent; We have a long history of people’s participation in the arts, especially theater and drama. Given the universal nature of the subject, I could set thinkclazcha… anywhere but I decided to do it in Kanhangad. with this 1744 White Alto, I am proud of my roots. We were waiting to be discovered,” the army said. So too, it seems, was Kasaragod.